Improvement of ship-generated oily waste collection process from ports through the use of virtual Internet of Things system

The management of ship-generated oily waste is subject to international regulations due to its high environmental impact and significant valorisation potential. The advancement of research leads port authorities to think of emerging technologies to add value to existing systems. In light of this, the objective of this paper is to devise and simulate a collection system based on Internet of Things technology. It is primarily an intelligent simulator with capabilities of sensors’ imitation, relaying data, evaluating vehicle routing algorithms and calculation of performance indicators. Using a numerical experience adapted from the regional context in Morocco, the metrics about collected quantities, transportation distances and tank storage levels tend to prefer the intelligent scenario over the status quo. The total distance travelled has decreased by 45.25%, and the average quantity collected per round has risen by 24.22%. On average, every cubic meter stored in a port saves 16.4 km of monthly travelled distances. These results warrant additional study to evaluate the impact of a national coverage extent. Nevertheless, additional tests on investment requirements in terms of network implementation and storage resources are essential to prove the acquisition of this solution is viable in the long range. Graphical Abstract