4 ways to reduce ship fuel consumption

Nov 16, 2022 | Blog

Even though it may seem obvious, there are many different types of actions that ship owners and charterers can put in place to optimize consumption. Consumption optimization is a topic that isn’t one-dimensional. It’s one part of a complex group of factors that impact the operations of a ship.

How can you reduce ship fuel consumption?

Here are some examples of ship fuel consumption reduction actions:

1. Speed reduction, but not any reduction

The first step to reducing fuel consumption is understanding where the losses are. This seems obvious, if we navigate slower, we consume less. However, the reality of shipping and marine offshore operations is that ships have schedules and can’t necessarily slow steam. Speed reduction can only be achieved with proper real-time monitoring and historical data analysis to understand when slow speed is suited without operational impacts.

Another aspect of speed is understanding the economical speed of each vessel design and respecting this speed when suited. Slow speed can reduce consumption but sometimes increase it. Optimal speed, however, can reduce consumption and optimize other aspects of operations – such as time to destination or time at sea and maintenance.

2. Shore Power

Shore power is an essential solution for reducing fuel consumption and air pollution for marine vessels at berth. This method involves using a giant electrical plug. It allows vessels (anything from cruise ships to container ships to tugboats) to plug into green electric power while at the dock, eliminating the need to run diesel engines while at berth.

This particular action requires both the pier infrastructure and the maritime vessels themselves must be equipped with the capability (and the plugs) to use shore power. It represents significant fuel consumption reduction at port but also minimizes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at port by up to 95%.

3. Optimizing engine utilization

For some types of ships, like marine offshore, a ship can perform multiple operations in a short period. For such vessels, it’s crucial to collect data on engine usage to understand their fuel consumption. Many vessels remain to do standby using more engines than needed.

There may be processes available from charterers that state the engine usage for specific operations, however, it’s difficult to know for sure what’s happening at sea without the appropriate monitoring.

Clients’ demands, weather conditions, and the limited time given to crews to adjust the engine’s configuration all significantly influence the proper utilization of ships’ engines. To ensure the best possible outcome, companies must ensure that their teams understand and follow the appropriate engine utilization procedures. That there is adequate engine maintenance and that they operate according to the engine manufacturer’s instructions.

In a perfect world, captains would easily switch off engines and change configurations to respond to the slightest changes in weather or operational conditions. However, this is not the reality of our seafarers out there. Collecting and analyzing data is an excellent way to understand the behavior and engine configuration utilization. Digitalization plays a vital role in understanding each vessel’s particular behaviors, including, of course, the utilization of their engines.

4. Optimizing high-consumption operations

Operational standby is one of the main operational behaviors that tend to drive down fleet productivity and efficiency. This is when a vessel is fully ready to operate with all engines running and all equipment ready for deployment but is forced to wait for a particular reason. The reasons include waiting for paperwork, a crane operator, a helicopter landing, etc. This behavior causes vessels to unnecessarily burn up to 50% more fuel. A way to minimize this phenomenon is by collecting data from the vessel’s operations to understand the engine running hours and waiting time at each location. By analyzing this data, operators and shipowners can find patterns that connect these standby periods to particular assets.

When multiple companies and suppliers interact in the same operational ecosystem, inefficiencies are expected due to the complexity of the activities and the large number of stakeholders involved. Collecting, centralizing, and sharing information amongst these stakeholders is essential to mitigate these inefficiencies (shipowners, charterers, ports, etc.). By analyzing your standby information, you can understand how your assets are utilized and your planning is executed. Therefore, you can minimize operational standby with specific data analysis, change management, and procedure dispatch.

How to measure a ship’s fuel efficiency?

How do you measure your ship’s fuel efficiency? The answer lies in remote monitoring solutions that provide fleet-wide data collection and analysis capabilities, allowing you to make informed decisions based on concrete facts rather than guesswork.

For example, collecting and analyzing data can help identify sub-optimal use of engines and generators, give more insight into engine RPM and propeller usage, and highlight areas of improvement. It assists in the reduction of unnecessary journeys and ensures that vessels are deployed at optimal times. It reduces non-productive operations, minimizing consumption. In the longer term, data can better understand a company’s specific operational constraints and a more precise portrait of the fleet that would best suit its needs – informing key decisions on vessel numbers, types, and designs required to deliver optimized operations.

Main takeaways

  1. Data integration is crucial for improving fleet efficiency
  2. Many actions can be put in place, but all require measuring to assess the success
  3. Fuel consumption optimization is a strategy and not a one-time effort
  4. Companies can rely on technologies and expertise like the ones proposed by Opsealog
  5. Reducing consumption now is a critical part of the transition to carbon neutrality in shipping

The latest advances in technology enable shipowners, operators, and ports to collect a wealth of real-time data on the fleets. The data collected will be the fuel to any fuel consumption reduction strategies. Without the knowledge of what’s happening at sea and why maritime players will be highly challenging to minimize effectively. Our performance management service, Marinsights, helps companies assess their starting point. It enables understanding potential improvements and taking the steps needed to deliver those efficiency gains. The good news is that many of these gains will immediately impact bottom lines.

Conclusion

Data-driven changes make for leaner, smarter operations. It makes companies more resilient in the face of sudden changes in the market or the operating context. Yet to achieve the best results, it is vital that to collect good quality data.

There are many other actions that you can put in place to reduce fuel consumption. At Opsealog, we gathered experts from various parts of the maritime sector in our team. Our goal was to create a team that could tackle any fuel optimization project, from ferries and cargo ships to supply vessels.

Are you interested in learning more? Talk to one of our experts.

6 Reasons to Invest in Ship Report Digitalization

Have you ever wondered how much time and effort your crew members spend completing paper-based and Excel reports on board your vessels? From maintenance logs to operations, the sheer volume of reporting required can be overwhelming for crew members, taking valuable...

Opsealog Foundry is where we shape the future of maritime

Opsealog Foundry team forges the collective experience of the maritime industry into innovative solutions. A team with maritime expertise A few years ago, Opsealog was a maritime tech start-up with a unique combination of data and maritime expertise. Today, we deliver...

How Performance Management is Boosting OSV Efficiency

Offshore support vessels (OSVs) are specialist boats used in the offshore sector to assist with drilling, production, building, and maintenance activities. OSVs are subjected to demanding tasks while operating in some of the maritime industry's most challenging and...

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in the Maritime Industry

One of the most revolutionary technologies of our time, AI has already had a significant impact on many international businesses, including finance, healthcare, and transportation. And it's not different in the Maritime Industry and Logistics. Chat GPT is one...

How Ship Fuel Efficiency Impacts the Maritime Industry

Ship fuel efficiency key component of ship performance. It directly affects a vessel's operating costs, environmental performance, and overall profitability. Improving fuel efficiency is essential for shipowners and operators seeking to remain competitive in today's...

The Potential of Data Sharing in the Maritime Industry

Image: metamorworks The maritime industry is a complex ecosystem involving multiple companies, each with different data maturity levels. The industry comprises diverse stakeholders, from ship operators, port authorities, cargo owners, and insurance companies. The vast...

The Role of Data in Tackling OSV Industry Challenges

Images: Rivieramm Insights from Opsealog and the OSJ 2023 The Offshore Support Journal Conference and Awards 2023 was an incredible event that took place from February 7th to 9th in London. It brought together the key players of the offshore supply vessel (OSV)...

Port Digitalization: benefits, challenges, and opportunities

The global economy relies heavily on the shipping and port industry, which is responsible for transporting goods and materials worldwide. Digital technologies have the potential to transform the industry, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing...

Harnessing Technology for Ship Environmental Compliance

The white paper on "Harnessing technology for ship environmental compliance" explores how technology can be leveraged to ensure that ships comply with environmental regulations. The paper highlights various technologies, such as monitoring systems and data analytics,...

A three-point vessel decarbonization plan: data, collaboration, action

If we want to improve the offshore industry, we need collaboration on vessel decarbonization that is underpinned by transparent, standardized data. The Forum for Decarbonising the OSV Industry recognized two important, interrelated elements to successful...