What potential impact can energy-saving technologies, commonly referred to as energy-saving machinery, have on your capacity to follow CII? If you want specific details and examples from actual vessel operators, you must watch our most recent webinar. 70% of webinar participants stated they were thinking about upgrading, as opposed to 0% who said they didn’t need upgrades.
What’s behind these stark figures?
Starting with some facts By 2030 and 2050, the IMO’s CII regulations require a 40% reduction in carbon intensity. If you are the owner of a merchant’s vessel and have not yet taken any action, your ship is probably among the 45% of the fleet that will not comply. These data make it very evident that immediate action is required. 25% of participants in our webinar on “How to increase your CII rating using energy-saving solutions” appeared to still be confused about their upgrading plans, according to a poll we conducted during the event.
- 70% – reduction in carbon intensity needed by 2050
- 45% – amount of vessels that won’t comply without upgrades
- 25% – number of webinar participants unsure about their upgrade plans
How can energy-saving technologies help me comply with CII?
On the basis of modelling data from a Capesize bulker and a NeoPanamax container ship, Figosta Zhou, General Manager, Technical Sales at Wärtsilä, gave several real-world instances during the webinar.
Achieving a CII rating of 2.599, or a C grade, the 180,000 dwt bulker travelled 73,000 nautical miles and used 11,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in 2021.
Based on Wärtsilä’s data modelling, the vessel could achieve CO2 and GHG vessel emission reduction of:
- 5-9% with a combination of Wärtsilä EnergoProFin, EnergoFlow and an optimised propeller
- 7-10% with a combination of EnergoProFin, air lubrication and an optimised propeller, or
- 24-28% with a combination of a shaft generator, an optimised propeller and four rotor sails
The ship will receive a D rating in 2024 if no improvements are made. The ship would gain from a compliance extension of three to four years with one of the upgrade combinations described above. That is to say, if you were the vessel owner, 2027 would be your final opportunity to take action to save your vessel from breaking the law.
The statistics demonstrate that upgrades make perfect sense given their low CAPEX.
In the case of the container ship, the 158,000 dwt, 15,000 TEU vessel travelled 74,000 nautical miles in 2021 while utilising 21,000 tonnes of HFO, earning a CII rating of 5.669, or a C grade.
Based on Wärtsilä’s data modelling, the vessel could achieve CO2 and GHG vessel emission reduction of:
- 4-8% with a combination of an optimised propeller and air lubrication
- 5-7% with a combination of EnergoProFin, EnergoFlow and an optimised propeller, or
- 7-10% with a combination of EnergoPac, a shaft generator and air lubrication
The ship will no longer be in compliance without any improvements around 2024 or 2025. Similar to the bulker, the vessel would gain from a compliance extension of three to four years with any combination of the changes indicated above.
The figures demonstrate that upgrades are an obvious choice given their low CAPEX. You can miss out on up to four years’ worth of profitable operations if you don’t have them. A stranded asset and the cost of purchasing a new vessel could potentially be your lot.
How is CII affecting real fleets today?
The CII standards are already having an impact, according to Anders M. Sorheim, Sustainability and CO2 Performance Manager for Klaveness Ship Management. Since overcoming the friction between the hull and the water consumes at least 70% of the energy required to drive the vessel ahead, he emphasises how important it is to keep the hull and propeller clean.
Now is the time to act. It is not possible to postpone the next dry dock for five years.
Klaveness Ship Management is spending money on energy-saving technologies in addition to maintaining its hulls and propellers spotless. Air lubrication systems, rotor sails, and pre-swirl stators like EnergoFlow have been installed or are currently being rolled out. In order to clean the hull more thoroughly and to provide themselves with more opportunities to add new technology, they have also shortened their dry-docking time to two and a half years. Now is the time to act. It is not possible to postpone the next dry dock for five years.
How do energy-saving technologies help avoid slow steaming?
The head of fleet management, dry docking, and repair at Berge Bulk, Gurpreet Sandhu, is also a strong proponent of starting with simple tasks like hull cleaning. The annual efficiency rating indicates that the company’s vessels are currently running 45% more efficiently than they were in 2008.
Gurpreet attributes this to a mix of crew best management practices and investments in energy-saving devices. Although the corporation has been able to reduce fuel costs and emissions as a result, potential speed decreases due to tighter rules are still a concern. The use of energy-saving devices, as Gurpreet points out, can help you avoid speed reductions so that your vessels continue to be appealing to charterers. Solar panels, shaft generators, and air lubrication systems have already been installed by Berge Bulk. They intend to put in rotor sails the following year.
Are energy-saving technologies proven to work?
All the currently available solutions mentioned have been demonstrated on several vessels, according to Rave Al-Chamary, Product Manager, Energy Saving Technologies at Wärtsilä. They undoubtedly contribute to emissions reduction and CII compliance. As CII begins to take effect and vessel operators to scurry to comply, there will be an increase in demand for these technologies. The demand can exceed the supply. You might have trouble locating a shipyard with a free slot even if the hardware is available.
The sole warning was to not give it too much thought. Waiting is not a wise course of action. You must act right now since the environment cannot wait for us to make a decision.
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Source: Market Screener