Swedish propulsion optimisation specialist Lean Marine has announced its FuelOpt device was installed on the 200th vessel in March 2021
Since commercialising its automated propulsion optimisation technology, Lean Marine’s FuelOpt has proven its efficiency and real-time fuel savings.
Lean Marine chief executive Mikael Laurin said, “We are celebrating the 200th vessel contract for our FuelOpt system. We are proud to have the trust of so many companies and crews when it comes to helping them achieve their green shipping goals while boosting their bottom line. We look forward to supporting even more vessels in the near future.”
FuelOpt focuses on speed, fuel consumption and engine power. It provides the crew full control of these parameters via an intuitive panel on the bridge.
Once activated, the system dynamically controls vessel propulsion based on the commands set, adapting the propulsive power to the changing environmental conditions. In this way, steady and predictable shaft power can be achieved, removing costly variations in speed and power caused by human operational factors and achieving real-time fuel savings and emissions reductions.
On vessels with a controllable pitch propeller, FuelOpt acts as a dynamic tuning system for propulsion machinery. The system regulates the propeller’s pitch and rpm separately to operate the engine and propeller at optimal conditions. In this way, the system produces the maximum amount of propeller thrust with the minimum amount of power, optimising energy use.
In late 2020, Lean Marine announced their participation in the Via Kaizen project, where FuelOpt has a key role. The project aims to accelerate the technological development, realisation, and adoption of AI-powered ship operations support technology by ship crew and management. In this project, the FuelOpt system will create a direct interface between the crew, machinery, and the AI-based solution, empowering them to work together to execute the voyage.
FuelOpt is essential as on these AI-powered voyages, it automatically optimises the propulsion line based on commands set by the captain or sent by an AI-powered voyage optimisation solution.
Lean Marine sales director Jonas Persson said, “With 200 vessels of various types and sizes empowered by FuelOpt, we have proven the benefits of the FuelOpt system on enhanced ship operations across the industry. FuelOpt does not only support shipowners and operators in short-term decarbonisation goals, but also assists them in future-proofing their fleet regardless of their transition strategy. FuelOpt is a solid base to support any strategy; for instance, energy transition towards alternative fuels or wind-assisted propulsion.
As recently announced, the FuelOpt system is also compliant with the shaft-power limitation requirements as suggested in the current Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) framework. By enabling ship operators to set an upper limit to shaft-power output without any modification to existing machinery, it aligns operations with EEXI requirements. Additionally, the system can be overridden in an emergency, enabling access to the engine’s full power.
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