As we these days follow the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow focus on emissions reduction, we also find the need to stress the fact that we need short term actions with immediate results.

Emissions reduction in the shipping industry

We cannot help all types of ships in the maritime industry, and many are already well prepared. However, we have learned that there are still many out there that have very little real-time knowledge of their fuel consumption.

Back to the UN, and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. He recently called the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report “a code red for humanity.” Shortly after, world leaders received the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization, a message from more than 150 industry leaders and organizations urging them to take decisive actions to accelerate the transition to zero emissions shipping. We stand firmly behind this call to action and urge the shipping industry to follow and move rapidly on decarbonization.

The time to act is now.

“How may ScanReach help shipowners act now on reducing fuel consumption? By provide the bridge team and onshore organisation real-time fuel consumption data. Reports provide indications of significant energy savings with the right tools and good implementation amongst operators,” says Jacob Grieg Eide, Chief Business Officer of ScanReach.

This statement and belief have its foundation in an analysis of how an energy-monitoring system was implemented and eventually adopted by the crew members in a shipping company. The paper Adoption and use of energy monitoring technology in ship officers’ communities of practice by Martin Viktorelius can be read in full at Springer Link.

Moving towards automated solutions?

Traditionally the fuel consumption readings and reports has been done manually and registered in noon-reports sent onshore.

This has been reported to lead to a lack of transparency, data misreporting and lack of trust and support of energy consumption-monitoring policies, resulting in insufficient awareness and engagement on part of the crews”. (Viktorelius, 2019)

The lack of auto-logging systems, collection of real-time data, and the non-use of computer applications, allowing statistical analysis of energy consumption and other relevant parameters, may prevent decision makers at sea and onshore from making adequate and prompt changes in ship operations to save fuel. (Viktorelius, 2019)

ScanReach is able to retrofit vessels with fuel reading. By using ScanReach’s onboard mesh of wireless nodes the installation cost comes down sharply compared with conventional alternatives. ConnectFuel is also quick to fit. Installation takes as little as hours, and can be installed by the crew themselves.

ConnectFuel has already successfully been fitted on the first ship. It links a flow meter that is clamped onto the fuel lines to displays on the bridge and onshore. This provides instant visual indication of fuel consumption as well as for a selected period.

“Feedback from the industry shows a strong belief that lack of instant fuel consumption awareness could lead to overconsumption of fuel,” Mr. Eide said.

Developing ConnectFuel was prompted by a growing demand for instant fuel data,

not only to monitor consumption itself but also to provide data for regulatory purposes, such as IMO’s Fuel Oil Data Collection System and the EU’s Monitoring, Reporting and Verification requirements. It will also provide valuable guidance for meeting IMO’s 2030 target of reducing CO₂ emissions by 40% by 2030, which will require an annual reduction in emissions – and thus fuel consumption – of about 6%.

Data collected by ConnectFuel is also transferred ashore by satellite and stored in the Cloud, where shore staff can view real-time consumption rates and extract and analyse the information gathered. If more specific data is needed – such as splitting main engine and auxiliary consumption, or information from individual engines – ConnectFuel can provide that if flow meters are fitted at appropriate locations in the fuel lines.

This screen shot is from a vessel with ConnectFuel installed. It is from a single-engine setup onboard a 2300ft stern trawler with cargo capacity of 1403m3.

As there are very different propulsion systems on various ships, we are still testing and learning on the complicated multi-engine setups.

Class society DNV reviewed existing fuel monitoring technologies, and its report acknowledged that “smart data gathering, and presentation of operational data can contribute positively and reduce emissions by creating an onboard culture and awareness around energy and fuel consumption. An IoT platform which enables collection and connection of relevant operational data is suitable as a basis for forming operational targets and philosophies.”

ConnectFuel’s benefits as proving ‘fuel awareness’ onboard and ashore. Which in turn might reveal, e.g. that too many auxiliaries than necessary are running. Or simply encourage more efficient ship handling such as changing speed, direction and trim.

Addressing this lack of awareness “could be the single most important measure to take, in order to impose a potential change of the vessel’s performance and the reduction in fuel consumption.

Visit our ConnectFuel page for more information.

ScanReach Roadmap

We care about our clients and their needs. Therefore, if we can make the world and workplaces safer, more sustainable and improve performance we will do our best to do so. Many of our existing clients have asked if we can extend the use of our Onboard Wireless Connectivity. We have started our journey doing so. This is our current RoadMap.

ConnectPOB

Onboard Wireless Connectivity for Safety