Search the Knowledge Base

  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.
Knowledge Base: Fuel & Operational Efficiency

Why to Measure Tugboat Fuel Consumption

Last Updated: 17. February 2026

Article Cluster: Fuel & Operational Efficiency

Applies to: FuelExplorer | PowerCaptain

Author: Rick Broersma

About LionRock Maritime

LionRock Maritime provides highly accurate data and data-derived insights about tugboat operations across every port in the world. LionRock Maritime combines towage industry expertise, human creativity and data technologies to deliver decision-grade tugboat analytics software.

Executive Summary

  • Problem: Many tug operators track total fuel spend, but lack structured insight into why fuel is consumed, where it is consumed, and who or what is driving variance.

  • Why It Matters: Fuel consumption is not just an engineering metric. It directly impacts:

    • CO₂ transparency to customers (Scope 3 reporting)

    • Pricing and commercial strategy
    • Captain, Tug and Pilot maneuvering performance
    • Tug allocation and fleet deployment decisions

  • Solution: LionRock Maritime enables structured fuel transparency through Tugboat Fuel Index, FuelExplorer, PowerCaptain, and TugIO - connecting fuel data to customers, jobs, captains, ports, and vessels.

  • Outcome: Fuel consumption becomes a strategic management lever, not just a cost line.

Executive Answer

Measuring fuel consumption is no longer optional in modern harbor towage. It directly influences:

  1. Customer CO₂ transparency and Scope 3 reporting
  2. Commercial pricing accuracy and profitability
  3. Operational maneuver optimization
  4. Fleet allocation and tug deployment strategy

Without structured measurement, operators cannot:

  • Attribute emissions to customers
  • Understand true cost per job
  • Identify inefficient maneuver patterns
  • Optimize tug selection based on fuel economics

Fuel data, when contextualized, becomes a commercial and operational decision tool, not just a technical metric.

Why Measure Fuel Consumption? (5 Strategic Drivers)

Reason 1: CO₂ Reporting & Scope 3 Transparency

Towage Customers increasingly require visibility into their Scope 3 emissions, including towage activities.

Why this matters:

  • Charterers and terminals must report aggregated emissions
  • Towage fuel use directly contributes to customer carbon footprint
  • Transparency improves commercial positioning

What measurement enables:

  • CO₂ per job
  • CO₂ per customer
  • Aggregated emissions per terminal
  • Customer-specific emission reports

Without structured fuel measurement, emissions reporting becomes estimation-based and commercially weak.

Reason 2: Pricing & Commercial Strategy

Fuel is a major variable operating cost in tug operations.

Why this matters:

  • Fuel costs fluctuate significantly
  • Some customers or terminals require more intensive maneuvers
  • Certain job profiles consistently consume more fuel

What measurement enables:

  • Fuel-per-job per customer
  • Average and variance in fuel intensity per terminal
  • Pricing adjustments based on real operational cost
  • Data-driven customer selection

Accurate fuel insight supports margin protection and strategic commercial decisions.

Reason 3: Optimising Manoeuvres

Captain and pilot maneuvering styles vary significantly.

Two similar jobs can show large fuel variance due to:

  • Approach strategy
  • Engine loading patterns
  • Use of idle vs power
  • Repositioning techniques

What fuel measurement enables:

  • Fuel consumption per maneuver location
  • Comparison across captains and pilots
  • Identification of high-variance sailing behavior
  • Targeted training and performance feedback

Fuel transparency improves seamanship consistency and operational discipline.

Reason 4: Tugboat Allocation & Fleet Planning

Different tug types have different fuel economics.

Why this matters:

  • Tugs having varying consumption patterns and may be more economical for certain jobs
  • Towage job requirements differ by geography and vessel class

What measurement enables:

  • Fuel economics per tug and tug class
  • Allocation decisions based on cost-efficiency
  • Port-specific deployment strategies
  • Data-backed fleet investment decisions

Fuel measurement supports optimal matching of tug to job.

Reason 5: Regulatory & Environmental Alignment

While commercial drivers are primary, regulatory frameworks (CII, SEEMP, emissions standards) require reliable emissions tracking.

What measurement enables:

  • Structured documentation
  • Emission intensity tracking
  • Alignment with sustainability targets
  • Demonstrable decarbonization progress

Without accurate fuel data, environmental compliance remains qualitative rather than quantitative.

 

Proven Results

Operators implementing structured fuel transparency via LionRock tools have achieved:

  • Clear attribution of CO₂ to customers and terminals
  • Identification of high-variance maneuvering behavior
  • Improved pricing decisions through job-level fuel cost analysis
  • More strategic tug allocation based on fuel economics

Fuel measurement transforms operational conversations from assumptions to data-backed decisions.

Get started with your Tugboat Analytics today!

Get Started

Common Causes / Issues in Fuel Consumption Measurement

  • Fuel tracked only at fleet level, not job level
  • No linkage between fuel and customer
  • No normalization by nautical mile or job segment
  • Variance between captains not visible
  • Allocation decisions based on availability, not economics
  • Emission reporting handled manually or estimated

These gaps limit commercial control and operational optimization.

Solution Overview: Four Strategic Reasons to Measure Fuel Consumption

Fuel measurement becomes powerful when it is linked to business decisions. The four dashboards shown above represent the core strategic use cases.

1. CO₂ Reporting to Customers

Measuring fuel consumption enables operators to aggregate CO₂ emissions by:

  • Customer
  • Terminal
  • Vessel class
  • Time period

With FuelExplorer and TugIO segmentation, emissions can be attributed per completed job and rolled up into structured customer reports.

Why this matters:

  • Towage Customers increasingly request Scope 3 transparency
  • Aggregated emissions by customer strengthen commercial relationships
  • Enables proactive reporting instead of reactive data requests
  • Positions the operator as a sustainability partner

Without fuel measurement, customer-level CO₂ reporting cannot be produced reliably.

Aggregated emission data by customer: Fuel Pricing Tool (Fuel Explorer)
Aggregated emission data by customer: Fuel Pricing Tool (Fuel Explorer)

2. Pricing & Commercial Strategy

Fuel is a major variable cost driver in towage. By measuring fuel per job and aggregating by:

  • Customer
  • Terminal
  • Vessel size
  • Job type

Operators gain visibility into fuel intensity differences across commercial segments.

What this enables:

  • Accurate pricing adjustments
  • Identification of low-margin customers
  • Data-driven contract negotiations
  • Strategic customer portfolio management

Fuel consumption measurement directly informs profitability.

4.1.2_Fuel_cost_by_terminal copy
Detailed fuel usage on average job level per customer and terminal: Fuel Pricing Tool (Fuel Explorer)

3. Optimizing Manoeuvres

Fuel variance often stems from maneuvering behavior rather than vessel capability. By analyzing fuel consumption segmented by:

  • Captain
  • Tug
  • Location
  • Maneuver type

Operators can identify:

  • High-variance maneuver patterns
  • Inefficient repositioning
  • Overpowered job execution
  • Behavioral differences between captains

Outcome:

  • Targeted training
  • Standardization of maneuver practices
  • Reduction in unnecessary fuel burn
  • Improved operational consistency

Fuel transparency transforms maneuvering from art into measurable performance.

4.2.1_Fuel_use_by_captain copy
Detailed manoeuvring analysis by location, captain, and tug: Captain Fuel Index (Fuel Explorer)

4. Tugboat Allocation

Different tugs have different fuel economics. By measuring fuel consumption across tug classes and operational profiles, operators can:

  • Allocate smaller tugs where suitable
  • Avoid overpowered assignments
  • Optimize deployment by port
  • Match fuel economics to job requirements

What this enables:

  • Lower fleet-wide fuel intensity
  • Improved asset utilization
  • Data-backed fleet investment decisions
  • Strategic port-level planning

Fuel measurement supports smarter tug-to-job matching.

Fuel use by tugboat | LionRock Maritime Reports
Operational load and requirement analysis (fuel + time-series load charts): Tugboat Fuel Index (Fuel Explorer)

Key KPI Definitions

  • Fuel-per-Nautical Mile (NM): Liters consumed per nautical mile for a specific operational segment (idle, transit, assist).
  • Fuel per Job: Total fuel attributed to a completed towage job, including transit and assist phases.
  • CO₂ per Job: Emissions derived from fuel consumption, aggregated per completed customer job.
  • Fuel Intensity by Customer: Average fuel consumption normalized per job or per NM, segmented by customer or terminal.
  • Manoeuvre Fuel Variance (%): Variability in fuel consumption across comparable jobs, segmented by captain, tug, or location.
  • Tug Allocation Fuel Index: Comparative fuel performance metric across tug classes for similar operational loads.
  • Deviation from Meter (%): Difference between model-estimated fuel consumption and direct fuel meter readings.
  • Contextual Fuel Use: Fuel segmented by operational mode (idle / transit / assist) to reflect real working conditions.

Do you still have questions?

Contact our support via email

Contact Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is measuring fuel consumption important for towage customers?

Towage customers increasingly require transparency on their Scope 3 emissions. Measuring fuel consumption enables operators to calculate and aggregate CO₂ emissions per job, per customer, and per terminal. Without structured fuel data, emissions reporting becomes estimation-based rather than data-driven. LionRock’s FuelExplorer and TugIO tools allow emissions to be attributed accurately to customer activities.

How does fuel measurement improve pricing decisions?

Fuel is one of the largest variable costs in harbor towage. By measuring fuel consumption at job level, operators can identify which customers, terminals, or job profiles consistently require higher fuel intensity. This enables more accurate pricing, margin protection, and informed customer selection. Without fuel transparency, pricing decisions rely on averages rather than real operational cost data.

Can fuel measurement improve captain and pilot performance?

Yes. Fuel variance often reflects maneuvering behavior rather than vessel capability. By analyzing fuel consumption per captain, tug, and maneuver location, operators can identify behavioral differences and high-variance patterns. LionRock’s tools allow structured comparison and targeted feedback, supporting consistent maneuvering standards and operational discipline.

How does fuel consumption data support tug allocation decisions?

Different tug classes have different fuel economics. Measuring fuel performance across vessels enables operators to allocate the most cost-efficient tug to each job profile. Data-backed allocation decisions improve fleet utilization, reduce unnecessary fuel burn, and support long-term fleet planning. Without measurement, tug assignment decisions are based primarily on availability rather than economics.