FuelMACS® vessel performance monitoring solution makes shipping greener

The shipping industry is not only a source of high greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, but, due to the types of fuel in use, also of high emissions of harmful particles and gases to the local environment.

New regulations and requirements are forcing the maritime industry to focus on energy efficiency and meeting environmental challenges. For most of the vessels in operation today, there is, however, considerable potential for improving efficiency and reducing emissions. This can be realised by increasing awareness among shipowners, operators and crew.

Vessels are typically designed for minimum 30 years of operation, so there are many vessels in operation with the potential for efficiency improvements.

Making shipping greener

FuelMACS® is designed to comply with the MARPOL convention, which requires a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and Energy Efficiency Operational Indicators (EEOI) to be established for each vessel.

FuelMACS software and hardware can be installed on any vessel, enabling accurate fuel performance measurement and reporting. This data can then be used to identify potential measures for improving vessels’ efficiency and cutting emissions.

FuelMACS gives operators an overview of the current performance of the vessel and enables them to enhance performance by implementing operational initiatives.

Owners can make further improvements at the fleet level, using a fleetwide overview of vessel performance. The system may also use machine learning to recommend measures for optimising fuel consumption.

Concrete benefits

Using precise measurements, owners can get an accurate overview of vessel fuel consumption, which is compared with the specific engine model, condition, and running mode to identify specific fuel consumption (SFOC).

With a direct reporting system to shore, users can identify patterns and make analyses of fleet findings while leaving crew free to operate the vessel without interruption.

Highly flexible with a modular design, the FuelMACS® system is simple and quick to install, and can be configured to reuse existing vessel data, data collection infrastructure and instrumentation to minimise outlay.

At the outset, KPIs are developed in close dialogue with the shipowner to ensure that the right data is collected for the right job. FuelMACS is compatible with all fuel types and mixes.

Market potential

FuelMACS® can be made to operate with any of the more-than 70 000 merchant and cruise vessels currently operating on hydrocarbon-based fuels. The system can also be used in any newbuild that is not already equipped with fuel performance monitoring/analysis in its integrated automation system (IAS).

HEINZMANN Automation has been a supplier of marine automation products, systems and services to merchant and naval vessels since the early 1980s, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.