BIVAS Fleet Model Enhancement

We have initiated a new project to enhance the fleet model within the BIVAS inland shipping framework. This model evaluates potential changes in the fleet assigned to current or future inland shipping voyages. The project addresses known limitations in the existing model, validates its performance, and proposes updates to account for technological advancements, economic factors, environmental regulations, and the impacts of climate change.

The first phase focuses on software enhancements, particularly refining the cost model that calculates potential costs and savings of assigning a (new) vessel type to a specific voyage. By incorporating price elasticities, the model will better evaluate the economic incentives for selecting different ship types.

The next phase involves defining comprehensive test cases, validating input parameters, and conducting scenario analyses to assess the model’s accuracy under various conditions. Scenarios may include a reference case, elasticity testing, and calibration options. Additional scenarios could examine the impacts of climate change (e.g. periods of low or high water levels), engine technology advancements, or infrastructure changes.

This project is a joint collaboration between Charta Software, Significance, and the Erasmus Centre for Urban, Port and Transport Economics (UPT), combining expertise in software development, quantitative research, and academic studies in this domain.

Learn more about BIVAS at bivas.chartasoftware.com.