Waste Free Shipping
Tugs are powerful machines, but they are not made for speeding. Around 8 knots and above, the fuel consumption goes through the roof. Yet in most ports, between 40% and 70% of all light-sailing, i.e. mobilization and demobilization is done at speeds over 8 knots and even up to 11-12 knots, often for no good reason.
The impact of speeding on fuel consumption is theoretically well understood, but very much underestimated. I.e. in most operations there is very significant potential for fuel and CO2 saving for slower speeding.
We can help you reduce fuel consumption and decarbonize
Our solution focuses on the human element in speeding. Speeding during mobilization and demobilization is done for many reasons; some are operationally valid, as the need to speed for being on time to assist an incoming ship after a last-minute call by dispatch.
But more often than not, speeding is not necessary at all and just done out of habit or to experience the power of the tug. Our performance reports engage captains and make them aware of their sailing patterns and the impact thereof without micromanaging them on every single trip.
We only use AIS data, so we can literally start any day (and stop just as easy).
Engages and motivates crews to reduce fuel consumption while monitoring their performance over time.
Fast and easy decarbonization of your operations. With guaranteed results.
Really, no management time required, so doesn’t place a burden on your busy teams.
Make a baseline or status quo assessment of the sailing speeds in your fleet and identify opportunities for saving fuel and emissions.
Get a free baseline report to see the current speeding of your tug fleet.
Weekly speed reports facilitating speeding changes.
Sustain change and address structural issues. Engage your captains in the project with individual and tailored reports. Reduce speeds, save fuel, cost and emissions.
Case study Client
A large regional harbor and terminal towage operator was looking for a method to save fuel without investing in technology upgrades. They had already installed fuel consumption meters on board a substantial amount of their tugs and were monitoring the fuel consumption closely. Yet, they could not see the reductions they were hoping to achieve.
Reporting on the sailing speeds of their fleet while mobilizing and demobilizing showed that there was significant potential to reduce fuel consumption by reducing speeds. While they knew that for many of their tugs the optimal speed was below 8 knots, the speed reports LionRock Maritime provided showed that there was excessive speeding over 8 knots, even up to 60% of all light sailing.
Despite this finding, the client was hesitant to implement LionRock’s “Waste Free Shipping” solution. How could simple performance feedback on speeding add any value in the drive to lower fuel use?
We hence started small with the implementation in one of their operations. It involved a water system that incorporated 3 ports where our client has 6 tugs in operation. The baseline speed measurement showed that speeding in excess of 8 knots was done around 60% of all free sailing time. The implementation involved weekly speed performance reporting on a captain level. Within 2 months, speeding went down from 60% on average to less than 20%. Representing an annual saving of about EUR 250.000,-
Following this success, the client chose to implement LionRock’s Waste Free Shipping solution in 6 more ports.
Speeding Excess Reduced
Annual Cost Savings
CO2 Emissions Reduced
Reduce your operational costs now!
Through cutting edge data technology you will get immediate and unprecedented insight into your towage businesses in any port in the world, including your own.