Owners’ initiatives


Fuel-saving technology from Finland


inland’s Eniram is making significant inroads into the cruise, ferry and container sectors, initially with its Dynamic Trimming Assistant (DTA) and now, through its decision support system Fleet, with broader vessel performance monitoring systems which promise the potential for ship operators, both at sea and ashore, to keep a closer eye on operational performance than ever before.


F The young company –


established by marine software specialists and ex-seafarers, and now backed by private equity groups – has already landed contracts with a number of blue- chip names including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, several Carnival Corporation brands, and Hamburg Süd. And it is believed the company is expecting to be in a position to announce another major deal with a north European container line within the next few weeks. Philip Padfield, chief executive, believes shipping has entered a new era in which the combination of shipboard sensors, almost instantaneous processing capacity and clever software will enable ship managers to monitor and optimise vessel performance as never before. And he believes that the company’s DTA provides a solid foundation from which wider- ranging fleet management systems can be launched.


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The DTA itself is based on the premise that optimal vessel trim varies depending on local conditions and therefore real-time tracking provides support for ship staff by guiding them on the effects of small adjustments. Some of the variables that are constantly tracked include wave characteristics, wind, current, ship speed, power, list, draft, squat, hull bending and, of course, trim. The data is gathered in real time by fixed attitude sensors on board, processed by Eniram’s central core unit, and integrated with bridge and ship automation systems. Trim information is then presented to bridge staff on an easy-to- read traffic light monitor. DTA is sufficiently sensitive to track even small changes in a ship’s attitude, and its effect on fuel consumption. On board a panamax cruise vessel, for example, Eniram engineers noted the movements of passengers as they finished dining in a restaurant aft, and headed for the theatre, located forward. With assistance from DTA, the resulting change in vessel trim could be tracked and subsequently optimised. Eniram’s Padfield says the economics speak for themselves. Even though ship speeds generally – and container ship speeds in particular – have reduced by a significant margin, bunker prices continue to climb, he points out.


With fuel savings typically lying in the 3-5% range – and one operator reporting consistent savings at the top of this range – DTA installations pay for themselves in a matter of weeks, or at least months. Payback periods may be slightly longer than the days in which container ships were steaming at 24-25 knots, he concedes, but this is offset to some extent by the fact that fuel prices are following a rising trend, and will increase further as new fuel regulations enter force in emissions control areas in Europe, the US and probably, before long, various other locations.


Padfield points out


that ferry operators in these regions face significant fuel cost rises as low sulphur


Phillip Padfield


regulations kick in. And, he says, Destination Gotland, a Swedish operator of four high- speed craft, is the latest ferry firm to benefit from


reduced fuel costs and ‘improved visibility into voyage performance’ as a result of installing DTA aboard its vessels. Both Color Line and Corsica Ferries are already clients. The initial installation – aboard the Swedish line’s ms Visby, a traditional 27-knot ropax ferry – was made in March 2010. Based on performance so far, Destination Gotland is hoping to achieve fuel savings of €100,000 ($142,000) per ship year, as well as an annual


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