In Depth: Proactive Measures Needed to Improve Hull Performance
While owners have long recognized the link between clean hulls and lower fuel costs, lack of reliable data has slowed investments in optimizing hull performance. But with improved sensor technologies and data analysis tools, hull performance is getting a second look.
Owners seeking to lower fuel costs and comply with pending regulations on emissions and invasive species often look to equipment manufacturers to meet their needs.
From new efficient engine designs to alternative fuels, scrubbers to ballast water treatment systems, owners face some expensive decisions. But with more vessels now equipped with onboard sensors and standardized tools to measure speed loss due to hull fouling, owners and fleet managers now have access to reliable data measuring the impact of hull and propeller performance over time.
According to Jotun Marine Analyst Manager Manolis Levantis, Jotun Marine has collected data on hull performance from different types of vessels on different trades for more than a decade.
“Jotun’s Hull Performance Solutions requires participating vessels to install sensors to enable performance monitoring based on standardized principles (ISO 19030) for the measurement of changes in hull and propeller performance,” he explained.
“Since then, the company has amassed one of the industry’s most comprehensive data sets on hull performance.”
Levantis said that hull and propeller performance have a much larger impact on vessel efficiency than previously thought.
“We estimate that the average yearly speed loss for all vessel types and trades, regardless of what anti-fouling is used, is about six percent.“
“For a typical bulk carrier, compensating for this speed loss would require an increase of power of up to 18 percent, resulting in higher fuel costs and GHG emissions.”
Levantis noted that the data is taken from owners and fleet managers who are committed to improving hull performance.
“When you consider that low freight rates over the past five years have discouraged many owners from investing in premium anti-foulings or sensor technologies, the market speed loss average may exceed six percent.”
Jotun worked in cooperation with Gearbulk in 2016 to measure hull performance. GearBulk, which operates the world’s largest fleet of open hatch gantry and semi-open jib craned vessels, shared historical performance data from the cargo ship Penguin Arrow dating from January 2000, allowing for a full comparative analysis.
After installing sensors and applying anti-fouling, Jotun was able to monitor speed loss over a 60-month period. The results indicated a speed loss of just 0.5 percent, resulting in an estimated fuel savings of USD 1.5 million and a corresponding reduction of CO₂ emissions of 12,055 tons.
“Our data conclusively proves the link between hull performance and fuel efficiency,” Levantis further said.
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