The future of shipping lies in having the technological expertise to measure vessel performance in order to achieve optimal fuel efficiencies and support regulatory demands. Given the increasing fuel costs and environmental pressures on compliance, freight rates are now very close to operating costs, leading to razor-thin margins, and, in many cases, operating losses. It is not surprising that given the confluence of business conditions in the maritime industry, companies are finding themselves in troubled waters and many facing extinction unless vessel management is accompanied by a more intelligent approach to achieving operational efficiencies.
New Optimization Product for LNG Sector by Eniram
Last week Eniram announced at Gastech 2014, the world’s largest LPG, LNG and natural gas event, another advanced fuel-saving product based on the established Eniram vessel platform.
NORDEN Tanker Turned Off Engine and Sailed by Wind and Sea Current
A product tanker weighing 47,400 tons sailed a distance of 280nm having its engine shut off using only wind and sea currents to navigate through the sea. The tanker made it to the discharge port in time. but by stopping the main engine for 3-4 days, savings of 27 tons of fuel were made. So it appears that sometime traditional methods of navigation at sea may be more economic/fuel efficient compared to proposed technological improvements. Of course this cannot happen everyday but such an incident is worth mentioning especially during these times were everyone seems to be in panic of cutting costs and saving more fuel.
Measuring Ships’ Energy Efficiency
During December 2012 Transport & Environment NGO released a paper investigating opportunities to establish an energy efficiency benchmark measurement. The paper also makes references to different metrics and proposals already under consideration at the IMO or in the EU and identifies possible options in the current EU discussions on monitoring, reporting and verification.
Assessment of Regulated Slow Steaming in the Maritime Industry
On February 2012 the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) released a report on the impacts of vessel speed on emissions, technical constraints and other experiences with slow steaming and current speed regulations, analyzing at the same time the legal feasibility of regulated slow steaming. Currently, fleet average ship speeds vary as the shipping sector adapts to changing market circumstances. In recent years, speeds have been reduced in a response to an increasing supply of ships, a slower increase in demand for maritime transport and rising fuel prices.
Cold Ironing Standard Published
Earlier this month the International Electrotechnical Commission has published its Utility connections in port – Part 1: High Voltage Shore Connection (HVSC) Systems – General requirements. The new standard IEC/ISO/IEEE 80005-1:2012(E) describes high voltage shore connection (HVSC) systems, on board the ship and on shore, to supply the ship with electrical power from shore.