The Mercuria Hackathon is a weekend event where interdisciplinary teams come together to create innovative solutions for software development that use fewer physical resources and energy more efficiently.
Hack with us in the Swiss Alps in the beautiful resort of Villars-sur-Ollon with up to 50 fellow participants in December 2022.
Mercuria is committed to driving the energy transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy. This is an opportunity for you to take part in that commitment as you help us to innovate our IT to be more sustainable, taking advantage of green software standards.
Challenge background
About 90% of world trade is transported by sea and carbon emissions from shipping are increasing. In 2018, shipping’s share of global CO₂ emissions was 2.9% or around 1.1 billion tonnes. This was an increase of 100 million tonnes since 2012 and more annual emissions than the entire nations of Canada, Brazil, Mexico, France or the UK.
If left unchecked, scientific studies predict that shipping could become responsible for 17% of global emissions by 2050.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) – the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships – aims to reduce the shipping sector’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.
Mercuria Energy Group are running a hackathon to raise awareness of this important topic and to lay down a challenge for like-minded software engineers to experiment with cutting edge technology and create real solutions which could form the foundation for innovative change in the shipping industry.
Challenges summary
Challenge 1: Monitoring, reporting and verification
European Commission:
“In 2013, the Commission set out a strategy towards reducing GHG emissions from the shipping industry. The strategy consists of 3 consecutive steps starting with monitoring, reporting and verification of CO₂ emissions from large ships using EU ports.”
Challenge 2: Voyage route optimisation
International Maritime Organisation:
“Just In Time (JIT) arrivals allow ships to optimise speed during their voyage to arrive in port when berth, fairway and nautical services are available. Containerships can reduce fuel consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions by 14% on a per voyage basis using JIT arrival…”
Challenge 3: Cargo logistics optimisation
About 90% of world trade is transported by sea and carbon emissions from shipping are increasing.
Shipping by the numbers
%
World trade transported by sea
Million tonnes CO₂ in 2018
%
Target reduction in emissions by 2050
#challenge 1
Monitoring, reporting and verification
#challenge 2
Voyage route optimization
#challenge 3
Cargo logistics optimization