Sailing into the Quantum Age: Improving Efficiency and Sustainability in the Shipping Industry and Revolutionizing Maritime Routing Optimization
Shipping is a crucial mode of transportation due to its high capacity, low cost, and high safety standards, which enable it to support approximately 90 percent of global trade. In this industry, even the smallest cost reduction can result in millions of dollars in profits. Moreover, the transport industry contributes significantly to global warming. Cargo ships emit approximately the same amount of carbon dioxide as the world’s top carbon emitters. If the shipping industry were a nation, its rapid growth would make it the sixth-greatest emitter of greenhouse gases. There are currently no laws governing the amount of carbon dioxide that ships release. Therefore, it is crucial for shipping fleets to employ technical and operational strategies to reduce their environmental impact and pollution, such as the utilization of efficient routing optimization techniques.
Technological advances are guiding the maritime industry toward a more efficient and sustainable future in a landscape that is constantly changing.
Quantum computing principles have been incorporated into optimization techniques, enabling the efficient navigation of substantially larger and more intricate solution spaces than was previously possible.
Quantum-inspired algorithms are based on the quantum bit, which represents the fundamental building element of a new era of logistical efficiency. Using entanglement and superposition, these algorithms can take advantage of the quantum bit’s ability to be in multiple states at once. The extraordinary entanglement and superposition capabilities of qubits offer tantalizing new possibilities for quantum communication and cryptography.
Quantum South, a corporation that specializes in quantum computing, and the Quantum Research And Centre of Excellence (QRACE) have proposed an optimization algorithm to solve the difficult maritime problem.
Members of the QRACE team are devising quantum methods to address the obstacles to cargo ship routing. They are: Dr Kumar Gautam (Postdoc, PhD) Saaru Darshini B (B.Tech, SRM), Bhanushri Chinta (B.Tech, IIT Mandi), Vikramaditya Bisani (B.Tech, SRM), Dr Nikhil Pachauri (Postdoc, PhD), Dr G Usha (PhD), Dr Saurabh Agarwal (Postdoc, PhD), Dr Yagyadatta Goswami (PhD), Dr Shailendra Pandey (PhD), Dr Indu Tripathi (PhD), Sachin Agrawal (M. Tech, IIT Madras), Dr P. Sathyaprakash (PhD).
Conclusion:
Optimization techniques based on quantum computing that overcome the limitations of conventional methods would be of tremendous benefit to the shipping industry. Its advantages in convergence speed, variety of solutions, robustness, simplicity, and versatility enable it to optimize routes, reduce oil consumption, and abbreviate delivery times for ships around the world.