Business

Royal Arctic Line reaps fuel saving benefits with Frugal Propulsion investment

Average fuel savings after run-in period is 10-15%, which corresponds to 2-4 tonnes of fuel per day for feeder ships, ro/ro vessels, chemical tankers and ferries.

Published

6 years ago

November 4, 2020

Admin

Greenland seaborne freight company Royal Arctic Line A/S is planning to install intelligent engine management systems from Frugal Propulsion on more ships in the fleet after experiencing fuel savings, it says.

Frugal Propulsion is an intelligent learning-control system that integrates with the ship’s existing propulsion control system (PCS). Using sensors, Big Data and advanced algorithms, the system ensures that the machine is constantly optimised for the draught, load, waves and wind.

The patented and class-approved on-top system solution from Frugal Propulsion system has so far been installed and tested on four cargo ships at different shipping companies.

The average saving in fuel consumption after a run-in period is 10-15%, which for many feeder ships, ro/ro vessels, chemical tankers and ferries will correspond to 2-4 tonnes of fuel per day.

Anders Bay Larsen, Senior Director of Fleet Management at Royal Arctic Line, describes Frugal Propulsion as an extremely interesting technology because it reduces CO2 emissions and ensures real financial savings within a relatively short time frame.

At the end of 2019, Royal Arctic Line installed Frugal Propulsion onboard the three-year-old ice class container vessel Malik Arctica, and they have seen a significant improvement in the ship’s performance on the long voyages between Denmark and Greenland.

“We have a payback period of 10-12 months, which makes Malik Arctica an attractive business case. At the same time, we are reducing the ship’s CO2 footprint and supporting our ambition to protect the fragile climate in the Arctic. Therefore, we have indicated that we are ready to enter into a dialogue about a Frugal solution for another of our cargo ships,” says Anders Bay Larsen.

Frugal Propulsion was installed within a few days while Malik Arctica was in port. Variable frequency drives was subsequently installed during docking, and allows the ship to sail with variable revolutions on the main engine, thereby achieving a further reduction in fuel consumption.

According to Peter Hauschildt, Naval Architect and CEO of Frugal Technologies, interest in Frugal Propulsion is growing because fuel is by far the largest ongoing expense on cargo ships. He sees the successful collaboration with Royal Arctic Line as a big step towards a breakthrough for the Danish company.

“Ships transport the vast majority of the world’s trade, so there is enormous potential in making them more efficient – both in terms of finances and the climate. With Frugal Propulsion, we add artificial intelligence and Big Data to the control of the engine and propeller, while ordinary control only involves static factory settings. It offers some unprecedented opportunities to optimise fuel consumption,” says Peter Hauschildt.

Malik Arctica Royal Arctic Line

Photo credit: Royal Arctic Line and Frugal.dk
Published: 4 November, 2020

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

4 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

4 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

4 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026