- FuelTrust said that Ridgebury has established a carbon baseline for its Suezmax tanker, Ridgebury John Zipser.
- For a relatively low cost, Ridgebury has been able to analyse the effects on vessel performance of installing a scrubber, a silicone hull coating.
- FuelTrust added that it will also provide insight into optimal HFO outcomes compared to the continued use of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) without a retrofit.
FuelTrust has announced that Ridgebury Tankers has been using its Digital Chemist AI-based system to measure fuel usage, validate emissions reductions and demonstrate its return on investment for scrubbers.
ROI on scrubbers
In a statement issued on Thursday (16 March), FuelTrust said that Ridgebury has established a carbon baseline for its Suezmax tanker, Ridgebury John Zipser, and assessed improvements in the vessel’s performance following a retrofit in 2019.
Ridgebury appointed FuelTrust to assess fuel and operations data from past years for its tanker, comparing month-by-month and year-by-year performance to establish a baseline for carbon emissions, from which they could measure vessel improvements.
The analysis also showed the value of a scrubber retrofit for the vessel and the impact of heavy fuel oil (HFO) fuel quality on carbon emissions.
Scrubber installation effects
According to FuelTrust: ‘Analysis using FuelTrust’s AI-based Carbon Baseline solution has helped Ridgebury to ‘understand, to the kilogramme, the entire emissions stack of the vessel, covering CO2, NOx, SOx, CAP and HAP emissions’.
For a relatively low cost, Ridgebury has been able to analyse the effects on vessel performance of installing a scrubber, a silicone hull coating, and buying higher quality fuels.’
Sustainable future
Robert Burke, CEO at Ridgebury, said: ‘Our commitment to operating a sustainable business means that when we add a tanker to our fleet of vessels, we first consider how our investment will benefit the environment.
Working with FuelTrust gives a higher level of detail and accuracy about how our investments affect emissions in any scenario.
For the benefit of our seafarers, our investors, and the environment, we can use this insight to deliver measurable improvements to our vessels.’
Analysis of reducing emissions
FuelTrust said that it is now building on this initial project and analyzing additional tankers to assess how fuel choice and operational behaviors could reduce emissions.
As part of the next phase, FuelTrust will produce an analysis of the relative financial and environmental benefits that could be accrued through the installation and effective operations of a scrubber by model.
FuelTrust added that it will also provide insight into optimal HFO outcomes compared to the continued use of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) without a retrofit.
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Source: Bunkerspot
