Real-World Fuel and Energy Savings with DEIF Marine Solutions

The evidence is clear: shipping companies can reduce vessel fuel and energy consumption and lower carbon emissions today, using propulsion and monitoring solutions that have been tried and tested in real-world shipping operations. The solutions and the benefits they provide were recently presented at an exclusive event hosted by DEIF.

As the ferry Tycho Brahe crosses the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden, only slight vibrations reveal that the ship is moving at all. For some years now, the ship’s battery hybrid propulsion solution has reduced both diesel consumption and carbon emissions, while also lowering the noise level dramatically, and the Tycho Brahe was therefore the perfect location for a recent exclusive event showcasing fuel-saving solutions that are providing great results in real-world shipping operations.

The event was arranged by DEIF in collaboration with Danish Maritime and ForSea and was attended by 20 Scandinavian shipping and marine industry professionals. They had come to stay abreast of recent developments, and to find ways to handle operational issues such as high fuel expenses and emissions regulations. “All shipping companies face similar challenges, and I wanted to meet colleagues and manufacturers to see ways to overcome those challenges,” said Second Officer Christian Strömberg from Stena Line.

The event focused on two solutions: battery hybrid power propulsion with DEIF controllers, and the Blueflow energy management system developed by strategic DEIF partner Blueflow.

Battery hybrid: 50 percent carbon reductions, 90 percent power efficiency

The battery hybrid propulsion solution on the Tycho Brahe enables the ferry to complete its crossing on pure battery power, charging while in port. The vessel can use its diesel engines for propulsion and battery charging but runs on batteries whenever possible. The system relies on DEIF controllers that make it easy for the crew to switch between the three operating modes: diesel, hybrid, and battery.

Since being installed, the battery hybrid solution has consistently and drastically reduced carbon emissions from the Tycho Brahe, supporting ForSea’s ambition to become the region’s most sustainable transport operator. “In the first quarter of 2019, we reduced carbon emissions from the ferry by 50 percent. That’s a great result, and in addition we get very efficient operation when running on battery power –around 90 percent compared to 30-40 percent for the diesel engines,” said Senior Chief Engineer Henrik Fald Hansen.

Blueflow: fuel and energy savings through optimized eco-driving

The Blueflow energy management system allows crews to optimize eco-driving by collecting, analyzing, and presenting data that affect the ship’s performance, for example route, wind speed, and depth. Norwegian operator Fjord Line uses the system on two ferries, and the results are impressive.

“A couple of months after installation, we beat an 11-year-old fuel consumption record by around six percent. In our fuel budget, that adds up to a lot of money,” said Technical Superintendent Kristoffer Morgenstern. “In fact, we reached a fuel consumption level that we had always thought was way too optimistic.”

The user-friendly system won over the crews almost immediately, and the significant savings with Blueflow meant that Fjord Line was able to achieve ROI in a matter of months. Recently, Blueflow has also been installed on the Tycho Brahe, optimising power consumption from the vessel’s battery powered engines. After only three months of operation, the system helped ForSea save 10 percent energy on the thrusters.

Networking and inspiration

Participants at the event were eager to ask questions about everything from frequency drive sizing and battery safety to data ownership and security. They also took the opportunity to chat with colleagues about daily operations and technical challenges. For several participants, this exchange of ideas and experiences, in addition to the presentations from DEIF and Blueflow, was very valuable.

“It’s been very interesting to see the technical solutions used on other vessels,” remarked Christian Strömberg, and Energy Savings & Performance Manager Mathias Mikkelson from Stena Line agreed. “I got a good idea of what DEIF can deliver, and the event has definitely provided some further inspiration for working with energy optimization,” he said.

Climate and compliance benefits

In addition to fuel savings, the solutions presented at the event on the Tycho Brahe provide significant climate and compliance benefits through reduced carbon emissions. This allows operators to contribute to climate targets defined by governments and by international organizations such as the E.U. and the IMO. With emission control areas (ECAs), mandatory emissions reporting, and other initiatives on the way, the shipping industry increasingly needs to comply with climate regulations. Battery-powered propulsion virtually eliminates emissions, and Blueflow takes much of the workload out of emissions reporting. “I had a colleague who used to do MRV reporting manually,” remarked Kristoffer Morgenstern. “When I showed him the Blueflow reporting module, his jaw hit the floor.”

In short, with DEIF and Blueflow solutions, companies can achieve significant fuel savings, user-friendly control and monitoring, and climate and compliance benefits. And these results can be achieved today, with tried and tested real-world solutions, and without adversely affecting onboard safety or ferry timetables. “Energy savings and emission reductions can be achieved using many different technologies,” concludes Project Manager Esper Flodgaard from DEIF. “There are a lot of ideas out there, but our solutions don’t just look good on paper. They have been tried and tested in real life.”