Drift prediction at sea
We harnessed Open Source software and meteorological data to build a drift prediction service to aid emergency responses.
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Drift prediction
Bolstering emergency response
with drift prediction
DNV’s Emergency Response Service (ERS™) has
assisted vessels in distress for 30 years and 4,100
ships and offshore units were enrolled in this service at the end of the year. In 2022, a new drift prediction feature to mitigate the risk of disabled and drifting vessels was launched. It also predicts the path of oil spills and floating objects, including man overboard and containers.
The drift prediction service employs state-of-the-art
computer modelling based on the open-source
software package OpenDrift. This enables the ERS™ duty team to perform the necessary simulations and generate a predicted drift path that considers local environmental conditions. The simulations are executed through a web-based service developed and hosted by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Met Norway), combining local and global forecasts for current, wind, and wave conditions to provide fast and accurate trajectory modelling. This allows more time to plan and execute an effective emergency response.