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Opinion: Technology to save fuel and improve environmental performance

UBM (Seatrade), co-organiser of Sea Asia 2019, contributes an opinion piece to Manifold Times.
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By Marcus Hand, Global editor of Seatrade Maritime News

As regulations on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions loom for shipping, simply using less fuel will be one way to help meet environmental targets, and also potentially save cost from more expensive low sulphur fuels.

At the same time, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also set the 0.5% Global Sulphur Cap regulation for marine fuels from 1 January 2020, as well as to cut CO2 emissions from shipping by 50% by 2040 from the level they were at in 2007. The impending regulations are considered ambitious when the growth in the fleet and world trade is factored into the equation.

While there has been a rush this year by owners to retrofit seawater scrubbers on existing ships, or install them on newly-built vessels (also known as newbuildings), the reality is that come 1 January 2020, the majority of shipowners will comply with the regulation by burning low sulphur fuel oil, which is expected to cost $300 per tonne more in the region than using high sulphur heavy fuel oil.

However, a newbuilding can also be designed with many energy saving devices as integral parts of the vessel. There is a wide variety of technologies and simple maintenance that can be applied to existing vessels to significantly reduce fuel consumption, as well as simultaneously improving environmental performance and lowering operational cost.

Some of these technologies and methods are explained below.

Hull Coatings

Coatings is one area where shipowners can consider to reduce drag, as well as the build-up of marine organisms on the hull (biofouling), which increases the frictional resistance. The worse the fouling, the more power will be required to keep the ship sailing at the given speed, and this could mean higher fuel consumption, increased production of greenhouse gases and other emissions.

There is a variety of coatings solutions in the market that claim to both significantly reduce fouling and also improve fuel consumption as a result. Hempel's anti-fouling coating, Hempaguard, launched in 2013 and applied to over 1,000 different vessel types is proven to deliver fuel savings of up to 6%, according to the company[1]. At the same time, Subsea Industries claims that its biocide-free coatings can reduce fuel consumption by up to 8%.[2]

Propeller Optimisation

The propeller on the vessel is another area where owners can consider to increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. To lower operating costs through fuel savings, it is common for ships to sail at less than its maximum speed – a practice known as slow steaming.

For slow steaming to effectively reduce fuel consumption, the propeller needs to be optimised for such speeds for the best results to be produced. Underwater repair specialist Hydrex cited one of its projects on a 229-metre bulker in Bremenhaven as an example, in which a five-bladed propeller was modified to achieve optimum efficiency at lower speeds.[3]

Disciplined maintenance, such as checking the propeller for dents and damage, and regularly polishing it, can also immediately impact the amount of fuel used by the vessel. In a more simple method, adding a cone fin to the propeller helps to reduce energy loss in the slipstream with up to 5% in fuel savings.[4]

Optimised Propeller Duct

Fitting a propeller duct, which consists of two strong fixed elements mounted on the vessel, can also improve ship performance. Positioning a duct with an integrated fin system in front of the propeller can enable significant power savings, or allow a vessel to travel faster at a given speed. It can be fitted on both newbuildings and older vessels.

Manufacturer Becker Marine Systems claims that its Becker Mewis Duct will allow for energy savings of 3% to 8%[5], depending on the specifications of different vessels.

Weather Routing

The weather can have a major impact on a ship’s fuel consumption. With today’s advances in satellite communications, there are now more affordable broadband solutions at sea. This means that there is now much more accurate weather routing information available to ships to better plan their voyage.

The use of weather routing software on ships will not only avoid bad weather that can potentially damage the vessel, but can also reduce fuel consumption by as much as 5% to 6% by plying the optimal route which factors in the weather and its impact on the voyage.[6]

Weather routing software can be linked into or be part of much wider-ranging optimisation tools. Web-based and cloud-based optimisation solutions can help monitor engine performance, provide predictive maintenance tools, as well as adjust the vessel's trim to improve performance.[7]

With such a wide variety of innovative systems available, owners today have plenty of options for improving the performance of their vessels, which can also result in fuel savings and thus, an improved environmental performance.
 

[5] BECKER MEWIS DUCT®. Becker Marine Systems.
[6] Navtor, WNI to work towards AI routing service. Seatrade Maritime News, April 2018.

Sea Asia 2019 is co-organised by UBM (Seatrade) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, and will take place in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands® from 9-11 April 2019.

Photo credit: Sea Asia 2019
Published: 20 August 2018

 

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GCMD: Project CAPTURED achieves two regulatory milestones for onboard captured CO2

CO2 captured onboard during the project has been formally recognised for compliance under the EU ETS while a proposal submitted to MEPC 84, based on the project, has received IMO’s in-principle support.

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Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (21 July) said Project CAPTURED has achieved two regulatory milestones that strengthen the commercial case for onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS).

This comes following its world’s first demonstration of an end-to-end value chain for onboard captured and liquefied CO2 (LCO2).

Completed in June 2025, the pilot showed that CO2 captured onboard a vessel can be offloaded ship-to-ship, transported overland and permanently bound through carbon mineralisation—a process that converts captured CO₂ into stable materials for industrial use.

The CO2 captured onboard during Project CAPTURED has been formally recognised for compliance under the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This means the verified tonnage of captured CO2 can be deducted from emissions requiring the surrender of EU Allowances (EUAs).

To qualify for this recognition, the CO2 must be chemically bound permanently in eligible products. Project CAPTURED demonstrated that CO2 captured onboard vessels can meet this requirement through carbon mineralisation.

The data and learnings from the same demonstration formed the basis of a proposal submitted to MEPC 84. This proposal received in-principle support from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for recognising carbon mineralisation as a form of permanent CO₂ storage.

Complementing geological sequestration, which is already accepted by the IMO, this recognition broadens the downstream options for CO2 captured onboard vessels, and supports the development of maritime carbon value chains. Beyond providing a permanent storage pathway, carbon mineralisation also creates the potential for captured CO2 to serve not only as a waste stream requiring permanent storage, but also as a feedstock for industrial applications through carbon mineralisation, extending emissions reductions beyond the shipping value chain.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO, GCMD, said, “Project CAPTURED has moved OCCS beyond technical demonstration. The acceptance of the EU ETS deduction gives captured CO₂ a compliance value. At the same time, IMO’s in-principle support for carbon mineralisation will help clarify how captured CO2 can be treated after it leaves the vessel. Together, these milestones turn a pilot into a verified reference case for maritime carbon logistics, one that links regulatory recognition, commercial value and emissions impact.”

 

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Technology

Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform, with Ocean Network Express as its first buyer-side integration partner.

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Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Tuesday (21 July) said it has started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform.

The company announced Singapore-headquartered container shipping firm Ocean Network Express (ONE) as its first buyer-side integration partner. 

“It is no coincidence we start in Singapore, as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) remains at the forefront of digitalisation of all things bunkering,” the company said in a social media post.

In November 2023, MPA launched its digital bunkering platform, becoming the world’s first port to implement e-BDN. 

Ofiniti said every bunker delivery still runs on retyped data. 

“The buyer’s system says one thing, the supplier says another, and someone reconciles the gap by email, phone, or PDF. On every stem,” the company said. 

“We built FuelBoss to change this reality.”

With the integration, operational data now flows without manual re-entry, fewer reconciliation errors and faster processing and data, instead of documents, are readily available for procurement and claims workflows. 

“One connection will not transform the industry on its own, but digitalisation gets built one integration at a time. We are grateful to ONE for being willing to go first,” Ofiniti added.

Manifold Times previously reported ONE completing its successful trial of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) with Shell. 

The e-BDN trial, using the digital bunkering solution developed by Angsana Technology, was conducted on 9 September 2023 at the Port of Singapore, with support from the MPA.

In March 2025, Ofiniti acquired Singapore-based Angsana Technology, with the entire Angsana team joining Ofiniti as part of the acquisition.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Technology

Genevos and Koedood Marine Group team up on maritime hydrogen fuel cell deployment

Collaboration will explore how ready-to-use marine fuel cell systems can support shipowners and shipyards in the transition towards zero-emission operations.

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July 20, 2026

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Genevos and Koedood Marine Group team up on maritime hydrogen fuel cell deployment

Marine fuel cell systems provider Genevos recently said the company signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with engine supplier Koedood Marine Group to explore the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell systems for inland and coastal maritime transport. 

The LOI was signed by Phil Sharp, co-founder and CTO of Genevos, and Mühlheim, Business Development Director of Koedood Marine Group during the 2026 Advanced Maritime Technology Show in Amsterdam.

Building on Koedood’s proven experience in hydrogen maritime projects – including its ongoing work with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and TNO on hydrogen engine development – the collaboration will explore how ready-to-use marine fuel cell systems can support shipowners and shipyards in the transition towards zero-emission operations. 

“Koedood has a strong reputation in the maritime sector and a deep understanding of vessel operators’ needs. This LOI is an important step in exploring how Genevos’ hydrogen fuel cell systems can be deployed more widely across inland and maritime applications, helping shipowners reduce onboard emissions with robust, practical and scalable clean power solutions,” said Sharp.

The collaboration aligns with growing market demand for rapidly deployable hydrogen solutions and the wider need to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission technologies across the maritime sector. 

“With this collaboration, we are further strengthening our portfolio of maritime energy solutions. Together with Genevos, we are exploring how we can support our customers in the adoption of hydrogen technology,” said Mühlheim.

 

Photo credit: Genevos
Published: 20 July, 2026

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