Tag: fuel efficiency

MAN PrimeServ, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s service division, has announced the 100th sale of its PMI (Pressure Measuring Instrument) Auto-tuning retrofit package. The ‘MSC Filippa’, a 2011-built, 13,400-teu container ship owned by Germany’s Peter Döhle Group, will be retrofitted to accommodate the system. Hagen Koslowski, Technical Director of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, said: “The main driver for us in ordering PMI Auto-tuning was to reduce fuel consumption and therefore become more attractive to the charter market. Taking a broader view, the CO2 reduction and our environmental responsibility, paired with our trust in MAN products, also played key roles in the decision.” The Peter Döhle Group has previous experience with PMI Auto-tuning, having recently installed it aboard a series of 6,800-teu vessels – MV ‘Pangal’, MV ‘Puelche’ and MV ‘Petrohue’ – equipped with MAN B&W 10K98MEC-7 low-speed engines. Of their experience with this, Koslowski said: “On all our vessels, the system runs reliably. The PMI works really well and adjustments can be seen on the CoCoS computer and MOP, while engine parameters are always at the optimal value.” Koslowski also praised an “outstanding performance” by MAN PrimeServ’s service engineers who installed, commissioned and pre-adjusted the PMI Auto-tuning system aboard the container fleet. ...

A new research collaboration between A*STAR’s IHPC, Sembcorp Marine Ltd, University of Glasgow and UGS aims to  make a ship’s voyage more smooth sailing by improving its hydrodynamics and energy efficiency. The four organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate and develop new hull designs for large ocean-going vessels and make them more environmentally friendly. Under the three-year MoU, IHPC, Sembcorp Marine Ltd, University of Glasgow and UGS will use computational modelling and visualisation technologies to design vessels with improved hydrodynamics for better fuel efficiency. In addition, they will collaborate and innovate on features to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and discharges by enhancing the vessel’s scrubber and ballast treatment systems. Currently, maritime transport carries about 90 percent of all international trade and accounts for three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Under this research collaboration, Sembcorp Marine and IHPC will analyse and improve gas abatement technology, using an enhanced scrubber design to address the emission of harmful gases like sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrous oxides (NOx), particulate matter and greenhouse gases, in particular CO2, from the ship’s heavy fossil fuel burning combustion engines. Such designs and technology are also needed to meet the International Maritime Organization’s new 2015 standards on ...

Rolls-Royce has been selected by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, via its Alaska Marine Highway System, and Vigor Industrial, to provide a highly efficient propulsion system for its future Alaska Class ferries that will be built by Vigor Shipyards in Ketchikan, Alaska. The two Alaska Class ferries will feature a range of Rolls-Royce technology, including reduction gearboxes, tunnel thrusters and steering gears. A Rolls-Royce Promas propulsion system, which integrates controllable pitch propellers and rudders, will increase fuel efficiency and enhance manoeuvrability. Tor-Gunnar Hovig, SVP Commercial Marine, North America - Rolls-Royce, said: "We are delighted to work with the Alaska Marine Highway System and Vigor Shipyards to provide a robust and fuel efficient propulsion system for these new ferries that will benefit the state and people of Alaska for many decades to come." "What is also exciting about this contract is that it represents the first time a ferry operator in North America will utilize our Promas integrated propeller and rudder system, which improves the propulsion performance by means of increasing the efficiency, resulting in lower fuel consumption compared to traditional systems. To date, more than 60 new build ships feature Promas with close to 40 already retrofitted ...

The first Wärtsilä X62 two-stroke engine has successfully passed its design validation and type approval tests and has performed exceptionally well during the necessary sea trials. It is, therefore, now ready for full market availability. The Wärtsilä X62 is the latest in Wärtsilä’s X-Generation of engines that was introduced in 2012 and which has been well received by the marine sector. Thus far orders have been received for 127 X-Generation engines. These engines feature a high stroke-to-bore ratio, thus achieving a lower engine speed and reduced brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC). Most prominently, the X62 incorporates Wärtsilä’s second generation electronically controlled, common-rail fuel injection system. The system facilitates high levels of combustion efficiency to give exceptional fuel savings across the entire load range of the engine. Another important feature of the Wärtsilä X-Generation engines is that a single electronic control system, the Wärtsilä UNIC, controls the fuel injection, the exhaust valve operation, and the cylinder lubrication. This allows excellent flexibility in the optimised operation of the engine. The first Wärtsilä X62 engines to enter actual service will be used to power four 115,000 dwt LR2 product tankers being built for the Greek ship owner Kyklades Maritime Corp at the Gunsan ...

NAPA and ClassNK, announced a deal with “K” Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd) to install their comprehensive eco efficiency and operational optimisation solution ClassNK-NAPA GREEN on three additional vessels. The vessels will be fitted with the software in June 2015 after the ClassNK-NAPA GREEN suite of systems proved itself on a trial installation early in 2014. The self-learning component of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, the dynamic performance model was also found to be extremely accurate during the same trial. Yasushi Nakamura, Representative Director & Executive Vice President, ClassNK commented: “I would like to thank “K” Line for choosing to expand ClassNK-NAPA GREEN to three additional vessels. Software solutions like ClassNK-NAPA GREEN offer a great opportunity for vessel owners and operators to accurately measure and understand the performance and fuel consumption of vessels, as well as optimize their operations. Along with Wan Hai Lines and Shoei Kisen, “K” Line was one of the first operators to trial the ClassNK-NAPA GREEN solution, and that they have chosen to expand application to further vessels is the greatest proof that we are supplying the industry with an effective and valuable product.”   Naoki Mizutani, Managing Director – NAPA Japan, commented: “At NAPA our goal has always ...

When Detroit Brasil Ltda., a local shipbuilder in Brazil, was looking for a partner to achieve reductions in fuel expenditure and CO2 emissions, they turned to GE. GE’s Power Conversion business announced that they will provide dynamic positioning (DP) and vessel control systems to equip the next generation platform supply vessels (PSV4500), currently under construction at the Detroit shipyard to the Brazilian shipbuilder Starnav Serviços Marítimos Ltda. These vessels, the first of which will be commissioned and will be put into operation by Starnav in 2015 on behalf of Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, will target fuel efficiencies as one of their primary aims. GE’s control system incorporates an innovative Energy Efficient mode, part of GE’s ecomagination portfolio. GE has developed a highly advanced predictive control algorithm which predicts future motion and updates the thrust demands if the vessel is calculated to move close to or outside the operator permitted area. This makes for fewer small, unnecessary corrections, thus reducing fuel consumption, emissions and equipment maintenance requirements. Additionally GE’s vessel automation and control system, featuring a novel fuel monitoring, recording and advisory system, grants operators greater insight into fuel consumption across various operational scenarios and cumulatively across the entire mission profile. ...

DNV GL recognised that E.R. Schiffahrt has retrofitted seven ultra large container vessels to meet the highest energy efficiency standards and improve its cargo capacity through the DNV GL Modification Excellence Award. Jörg Lampe, Senior Project Engineer Risk & Safety and Systems Engineering at DNV GL, presented the award to Jürgen Kudritzki, Technical Director at E.R. Schiffahrt, in Hamburg. The German shipping company is the first to receive this award. “E.R. Schiffahrt has made a sustained and intensive commitment to increasing the efficiency of its operations. Our analysis shows these ships use 15 per cent less energy – resulting in annual savings of approximately 3.8 Million USD”, said Jörg Lampe. E.R. Schiffahrt performed modifications on seven 13,100 TEU vessels – the eighth ship will be finished shortly. The changes include new bulbous bows, energy efficient propellers, engine modifications and cargo boosting. In addition to implementing the Route Specific Container Stowage notation (RSCS), the ships’ draft was increased by 0.5m – resulting in an increased deadweight of 7,591t, which is equivalent to 542 TEU at 14t for each of the vessels. DNV GL evaluated the vessels’ energy efficiency by using CFD calculation results, test reports and technical documentation to determine fuel ...

According to Poten & Partners, everyone in the tanker industry is aware of the recent drop in crude oil prices and the decline in bunker fuel prices that followed. Bunker fuel is the single most expensive cost in operating tankers, so this is a welcome relief for ship owners. The cost of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) in Fujairah has declined to a current price of $460 per metric ton from an average of $609/MT over the first six month of the year, a reduction of 24%. Due to the high oil prices over the last couple of years and the anticipation of continuing high prices in the future, owners have made operational adjustments by utilizing slow steaming on the ballast leg of a voyage, while shipyards and engine manufacturers have worked hard to improve the fuel efficiency of new ships. In this Weekly Opinion piece, we will examine the impact of these in the current fuel price environment. Using a VLCC as the basis for such analysis as the longer voyages benefit relatively more from fuel efficiency, we use a 2007 built VLCC ordered when HFO prices were around $160/MT and a modern 2013 built VLCC. Vessels can vary significantly ...

Ministers, Jung Hong-won and Alexander Stubb, highlighted a landmark 50th deal for the collaboration between Finland’s NAPA Group and Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), as an illustration of the importance of the maritime industry to both nations. At a ceremony in Seoul held during a visit by Finland’s Prime Minister accompanied by a Finnish business delegation, the two national leaders joined Vice President Head of Basic Design Team of DSME, Odin Kwon and President of NAPA Group, Juha Heikinheimo to mark the 50th order for NAPA-DSME Power, a joint solution for fuel saving and eco-efficiency in ship operation. NAPA has been working with DSME to provide fuel saving optimization software to the international shipping industry since early 2011. As part of DSME's Green Ship concept, the collaboration directly supports efforts to reduce bunker fuel costs, the highest expense in running a modern vessel. NAPA-DSME Power is used to obtain the most optimal trim, route, speed profile, and engine configuration for any given voyage. In addition it includes a complete office platform, which provides a quick overview of fleet efficiency, including tools for detailed analysis of hull and engine performance, and monitoring achievement of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management ...

Last year, Maersk Line owned and chartered fleet comprising 550 vessels completed about 37004 voyages called 33000 ports using 380 terminals in 117 countries. Given the sheer scope of Maersk Line’s operations, the Company is committed to reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This puts energy efficiency as one of the crucial objectives. That means taking careful steps towards optimizing these 37004 voyages in terms of energy efficiency. Wondering how do they go about ensuring the successful implementation of this endeavour? That’s where Maersk Line’s Global Voyage Centre (GVC) comes into the picture. The Global Voyage Centre hosts a giant screen that, monitors in real-time,  the position of all the Maersk Line owned and chartered vessels.  A team of senior seafarers monitors these vessels 24×7 and provides support to improve their energy performance and facilitate best practice sharing. “The Global Voyage Centre was setup as a project in July 2013 by selecting a few Captains and Senior Navigating Officers from the fleet join the team with an objective to bridge the communication gap between the shore staff and the fleet as well as monitor the vessels on long ocean passages on a real time basis. The GVC has since evolved to take on ...