Why reliable fuel management depends on installation, support, and long-term sustainability in the field.
Maritime technology discussions often focus on software features, dashboards, analytics, sensors, and reporting capabilities.
Those tools matter. But offshore, technology only creates value when it can be installed correctly, supported consistently, maintained over time, and trusted in the field.
Fuel management systems must operate across vessel schedules, shipyard windows, remote regions, spare parts constraints, crew adoption, local sourcing challenges, and ongoing diagnostic needs.
After more than 1000 vessel installations, Fueltrax has seen that long-term success depends on more than selecting the right technology.
It depends on deployment reliability.
Key Findings
Offshore technology success depends on reliable deployment, not software alone.
Vessel installations require planning, logistics, commissioning, training, and support.
Long-term value depends on maintenance, diagnostics, spare parts, and crew trust.
Remote regions can make local sourcing and technical support difficult.
Regional operating knowledge helps reduce delays and sustain performance.
Fueltrax differentiates through measured fuel visibility, global deployment experience, and lifecycle support.
Operational Problem
Technology can look simple during evaluation.
The reality changes when it has to be installed and supported on a working vessel.
A fuel management system may need to be deployed around vessel schedules, shipyard availability, onboard labor, regional logistics, commissioning windows, crew training, and long-term maintenance planning.
The software may be ready.
The vessel may not be.
The right components have to reach the right location at the right time. The installation window may be short. Local sourcing may be limited. Qualified support may not be nearby.
Even after installation, the system still has to perform.
It must be maintained, monitored, diagnosed, supported, and trusted through changing crews, operating regions, and vessel conditions.
This is where many maritime technology programs struggle.
A product may be technically sound, but if it cannot be deployed reliably and sustained in the field, it will not create lasting value.
Why It Matters Offshore
Offshore operations do not wait for ideal conditions.
A deployment in the Gulf of America is different from one in West Africa, Brazil, Guyana, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Mexico, or a remote inland waterway.
The technology may be the same.
The operating environment is not.
Each region brings different logistics, port access, customs processes, local sourcing conditions, communication constraints, vessel schedules, and support expectations.
Offshore operators need systems that continue working after installation. They need support when something changes onboard. They need crews who trust the data. They need spare parts, diagnostics, and remote visibility that help keep the system useful over time.
In offshore operations, support is not separate from the technology.
Support is what determines whether the technology keeps delivering value.
What We’ve Seen Offshore
After more than 1000 vessel deployments worldwide, Fueltrax has seen that deployment reliability is often where technology succeeds or fails.
Every vessel is different.
A PSV does not operate like an anchor handler. A crew boat does not operate like a construction vessel. A vessel working in one region may have different installation constraints, crew practices, connectivity, and support needs than a vessel working somewhere else.
Common offshore patterns include:
Vessel schedules often drive installation timelines more than technology readiness.
Short installation windows require careful planning before the vessel is available.
Local sourcing can delay projects when parts, tools, or qualified labor are unavailable.
Spare parts planning matters in regions where replacements are difficult to obtain quickly.
Remote diagnostics reduce downtime when vessels operate far from technical resources.
Crew training affects whether the system becomes part of daily operations.
Maintenance planning is essential to long-term data quality and reliability.
Regional operating knowledge helps teams anticipate problems before they become delays.
These are not just installation issues.
They are lifecycle support issues.
Fueltrax Perspective
Fueltrax approaches maritime technology as both an engineering challenge and an operational support challenge.
Beginning with offshore automation and control systems experience, Fueltrax was built for vessels first, not adapted to vessels later.
Fueltrax software provides visibility into fuel consumption, transfers, and inventory. However, the greater value comes from the ability to deploy, support, maintain, and sustain that capability in real operating environments.
With installations in countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Guyanna, Saudi Arabia, and others, the Fueltrax team has been tested and proven to operate under any circumstance.
The approach builds around practical offshore requirements:
Reliable Installation
A successful deployment starts before the vessel is ready for installation. Components, documentation, schedule coordination, vessel access, and commissioning plans all have to be aligned.
Turnkey Deployment
When local equipment sourcing is difficult, installation cannot depend on improvisation. Turnkey deployment helps ensure the right components, installation process, and support approach are defined before the vessel is waiting on parts or local availability.
Remote Support and Diagnostics
A system must remain useful after installation. Remote support and diagnostic visibility help shore teams identify issues, support vessel crews, and maintain confidence in fuel data even when assets operate far from traditional support networks.
Maintenance and Spare Parts Planning
Long-term reliability depends on keeping the system serviceable. Maintenance planning and spare parts availability help reduce downtime and support consistent data quality across the life of the installation.
Crew Training and Trust
Technology only works if the crew trusts it. Training, usability, and measured data help vessel and shore teams work from the same operating picture.
Regional Operating Knowledge
Deployment reliability depends on understanding where the vessel works. Regional logistics, port access, local sourcing, communication limits, and operating conditions all affect how technology is installed and supported.
Fueltrax is not simply providing software.
It is delivering a deployable, supportable, and sustainable fuel management capability for offshore operations.
Operational Takeaways
The offshore environment exposes a reality that many technology providers overlook: software is only one part of the solution.
Successful fuel management programs depend on the ability to deploy systems correctly, support them across diverse regions, maintain their performance, and keep them useful long after installation.
Reliable installation creates the starting point.
Remote support, diagnostics, training, spare parts, maintenance, and regional knowledge sustain the value.
For offshore operators, deployment reliability is not a project milestone.
It is the support model that determines whether fuel visibility continues to deliver operational value over time.
Fuel Theft Detection and Prevention: The Foundation of Offshore Fuel Security
How measured fuel visibility helps operators detect discrepancies, reduce theft risk, and protect fuel accountability across offshore fleets.
Although maritime fuel theft costs the industry millions of tons of fuel per year, it is not easily detectable. Fuel theft offshore does not usually announce itself as theft.
It shows up as a bunkering discrepancy, an inventory mismatch, an unexplained transfer variance, or fuel consumption that does not match the operation. Manual measurements and delayed reports leave the theft unnoticed until it is too late. Investigations need all the facts as soon as possible, not weeks or months later. If the fuel record is built on manual measurements and delayed reports, the investigation starts too late.
By the time the discrepancy reaches shore, the vessel may have moved, the supplier may be gone, the crew may have changed watch, and the fuel may have already passed through multiple tanks or operating periods. Fuel theft thrives in the inaccurate in-betweens.
Theft detection and prevention require measured fuel accountability. Operators need a clear record of when and what was received, transferred, consumed, and what remains onboard.
Without that visibility, fuel security depends on trust, memory, and reconciliation after the fact.
Key Findings
Fuel theft prevention starts with visibility into fuel movement and inventory.
Manual fuel measurement creates opportunities for error, dispute, and manipulation.
Theft can appear as a transfer variance, inventory mismatch, or unexplained consumption change.
Detection is strongest when fuel activity is measured continuously.
Prevention requires systems that make improper fuel movement harder to hide.
EFMS data helps operators separate theft risk from normal operational variance.
What Does Fuel Theft Look Like?
Fuel is valuable, movable, and difficult to control without independent measurement. Manual measuring and reporting leave too much room for human error.
Offshore fuel can pass through suppliers, terminals, ports, vessels, tanks, crews, and customer reporting processes before it is consumed. Every handoff creates an opportunity for uncertainty.
A delivery may come up short. A transfer may be recorded incorrectly. A tank balance may not reconcile. A vessel may report fuel use that does not match the operating profile.
Those issues cannot be managed effectively with delayed reports alone.
Manual soundings, handwritten logs, and end-of-day summaries may show that a discrepancy exists, but they often do not show when it happened, where it happened, or who had custody of the fuel at the time.
That gap is where theft risk lives.
The issue is not assuming every discrepancy is theft. The issue is that without measured data, operators cannot confidently rule theft in or out.
The Real Effects of Fuel Theft
Fuel theft is not only a financial issue.
It affects operational control, crew accountability, customer confidence, emissions reporting, fleet security, and commercial trust. When left unchecked, the impact does not stay isolated. Corruption cascades.
A tolerated discrepancy can become an accepted practice. Supplier relationships can be compromised. Crews may face pressure. Charterers may lose confidence. Operators may begin making decisions from unreliable data.
Over time, weak fuel controls can destabilize the commercial maritime ecosystem around an operation. The problem becomes bigger than missing fuel.
It becomes a breakdown in trust across vessel teams, shore teams, suppliers, charterers, customers, and regulators. Strong fuel controls reduce that risk.
A measured, monitored fuel system creates a shared, trusted record and makes improper fuel movement harder to conceal. For offshore operators, theft prevention is not about accusation. It is about removing ambiguity from the fuel record before it becomes part of normal operations.
What We’ve Seen Offshore
Fuel theft and fuel loss are often discovered late.
A discrepancy may not appear until the next report, reconciliation cycle, or customer review. By then, the vessel may have completed additional transfers, changed operating modes, or left the location.
Common offshore patterns include:
Fuel discrepancies are often investigated after the opportunity for immediate verification has passed.
Manual measurement can make disputes harder to resolve.
Bunkering and transfer events are common points of uncertainty.
Small variances can accumulate across vessels and reporting periods.
Crews may understand what happened operationally but lack independent data to prove it.
Theft risk increases when fuel movement is not continuously monitored.
Strong visibility can deter improper activity before it occurs.
The best theft prevention programs do not rely on after-the-fact investigation alone.
They reduce opportunity by making fuel activity measurable, visible, and harder to manipulate.
Fueltrax Perspective
Fueltrax approaches theft detection and prevention as a visibility, security, and accountability challenge.
Fuel theft is often enabled by gaps in how fuel is measured, transferred, and reported. When fuel activity is manually recorded or reconstructed later, operators have less ability to verify what happened in real time.
In 2024, Fueltrax systems were able to detect, alert, and report to the fleet, an anomaly that lasted less than 20 minutes total and resulted in over 12,000 liters being offloaded. The quick response and in-depth detail enabled the crew to respond and investigate in a timely manner. Without a Fueltrax system, it is easy to overlook those critical 20 minutes. No end-of-day or after-the-fact measure would give accurate information about the event.
Fueltrax’s Electronic Fuel Management System supports fuel security through direct measurement, continuous monitoring, anomaly detection, and secure data visibility. The purpose is not simply to report fuel use. The purpose is to create a trusted record of fuel movement.
This perspective builds around practical offshore requirements:
Independent Measurement
Fueltrax helps operators verify fuel receipts, transfers, consumption, and inventory using measured data instead of manual estimates alone.
Continuous Monitoring
The earlier a discrepancy is visible, the easier it is to investigate. Continuous monitoring helps operators identify abnormal fuel activity while the operational context is still available.
Tamper Awareness
Fuel security depends on knowing when the system or fuel record interference occurred. A monitored, alarm-protected system helps reduce the opportunity for hidden manipulation.
Anomaly Detection
Unexpected consumption, density changes, transfer variances, or inventory movement can indicate conditions that require review. The value is in surfacing those exceptions early.
Crew Safety and Accountability
In higher-risk environments, a monitored fuel system can support crews by providing a clear operational reason not to participate in improper fuel activity. Visibility helps protect both the fuel and the people responsible for it.
Fueltrax helps operators move from reactive fuel-loss investigation to active fuel security.
Operational Takeaways
Fuel theft prevention starts with control of the fuel record.
Operators need to know what fuel was received, where it moved, what was consumed, and whether inventory changes match actual operations. Manual reporting can support administration, but it should not be the only foundation for fuel security.
The most effective theft detection programs combine independent measurement, continuous monitoring, transfer verification, anomaly detection, and timely review.
For offshore fleets, the goal is not simply to find theft after it occurs. The goal is to proactively reduce the opportunity for theft by making fuel movement visible, measurable, and accountable throughout the operation.
Unchecked fuel theft does more than remove fuel from the vessel. It weakens the trust structure around the operation. Measured visibility helps stop that cascade before fuel loss becomes a broader commercial, operational, and cultural problem.
Fuel Accountability: The Foundation of Client Reporting in Offshore Operations
Why measured fuel visibility protects commercial trust between operators, charterers, and vessel teams over time.
Long-term charters depend on trust.
That trust is built through performance, communication, and reliable reporting.
Over months or years, small questions about consumption, transfers, bunkering, standby time, or operating mode can become larger commercial issues. If the fuel record depends mainly on manual reports and delayed reconciliation, those questions become harder to answer.
Client reporting requires more than a daily fuel total.
Owners, operators, and charterers need a shared record of what fuel was received, consumed, transferred, and remaining onboard. They also need enough operational context to understand why fuel was used.
Measured fuel data gives operators proof of performance.
It helps explain what happened, support customer conversations, reduce disputes, and strengthen confidence across the charter relationship.
Key Findings
Long-term charters create ongoing fuel accountability between owners, charterers, and operators.
Repeated fuel uncertainty can become a commercial trust issue.
Manual reports often lack enough context to explain fuel performance.
Fuel accountability requires visibility into consumption, transfers, bunkering, inventory, and operating mode.
Shared fuel data reduces disputes and improves confidence between vessel and shore teams.
EFMS data supports performance management, customer reporting, and commercial decision-making.
Operational Problem
Long-term charters create a continuous performance record.
Every bunkering event, fuel transfer, operating day, standby period, DP operation, and consumption report becomes part of that record.
If the data is incomplete, questions build quickly.
A charterer may ask why consumption increased during a job. An owner may need to explain how the vessel was operated. A vessel team may understand the operating condition but lack measured data to support it. Manual reports may show how much fuel was used, but they often do not explain the conditions behind the number.
Fuel variances may be caused by operations, measurement error, transfer uncertainty, standby time, DP activity, or inefficient behavior. The record must be strong enough to explain the difference.
Client reporting works best when all parties can rely on the same measured fuel record.
Why It Matters Offshore
Fuel is one of the most visible operating costs in a charter relationship.
When fuel performance is unclear, both sides feel the impact.
Charterers want confidence that fuel is being managed responsibly. Owners and operators need data that explains vessel performance fairly. Vessel teams need a record that supports what happened offshore.
A single unexplained variance may be manageable but repeated uncertainty over a long-term charter becomes a trust issue. Poor fuel accountability can affect client reporting, claims review, invoice discussions, emissions reporting, performance evaluation, and future contract decisions.
For offshore fleets, the goal is not simply to report fuel consumed.
The goal is to provide a fuel record that can stand up to client review.
What We’ve Seen Offshore
Long-term charter reporting issues rarely come from one event.
They usually come from repeated gaps in visibility.
A vessel may spend more time in standby than expected. DP or cargo operations may extend longer than planned. Bunkering quantities may be accepted without independent verification. Daily reports may show fuel totals without enough operating context.
Common offshore patterns include:
Fuel questions become harder to resolve as time passes.
Daily totals often do not explain operating conditions.
Charterers may question fuel burn without seeing the work behind it.
Vessel teams may understand the operation but lack measured data to support it.
Bunkering and custody transfers can become points of dispute.
Long-term performance reviews require consistent data, not isolated reports.
Shared visibility helps reduce friction between commercial and operational teams.
The strongest client reporting programs rely on fuel records both sides can trust.
Fueltrax Perspective
Fueltrax approaches long-term charter accountability as a reporting, visibility, and proof-of-performance challenge.
The Fueltrax Electronic Fuel Management System (EFMS) is designed to help operators measure, monitor, and report fuel activity in real time. That matters because client confidence depends on more than knowing how much fuel was consumed. It depends on understanding what happened, when it happened, and whether fuel use matched the operation.
For long-term charters, measured fuel data gives operators a stronger reporting foundation.
It helps support customer conversations, explain performance, verify fuel activity, and reduce uncertainty around consumption, transfers, and inventory.
This perspective is built around practical offshore reporting requirements:
Proof of Performance
Fueltrax helps operators show how fuel was used across operating modes, jobs, and reporting periods. This supports clearer conversations with charterers and customers. With over 99% uptime, Fueltrax provides operators with constant access to vessel data. In the event of an equipment issue, the Fueltrax team is available 24/7 for remote support.
Measured Fuel Consumption
Fueltrax helps operators measure fuel burn directly instead of relying only on reported totals. That makes client reporting more objective.
Custody Transfer Verification
Bunkering and transfer events are common points of uncertainty. Fueltrax supports verification of fuel received and transferred, helping reduce disputes around quantity and custody.
Operating Context
Fuel data becomes more useful when it is connected to vessel activity. Transit, standby, DP, cargo operations, and auxiliary load all affect consumption differently.
Shared Visibility
Client reporting improves when vessel teams, shore teams, and commercial teams can work from the same measured record.
Commercial Confidence
A long-term charter requires more than daily reporting. It requires consistent data that can support performance reviews, emissions reporting, invoice discussions, and future contract decisions.
Fueltrax helps operators move from fuel reporting to fuel accountability.
Operational Takeaways
Long-term charter fuel accountability depends on consistency.
Owners, operators, charterers, and vessel teams need a shared fuel record that can explain performance over time.
Manual reporting may support administration, but it should not be the only basis for client reporting.
The strongest reporting programs combine measured fuel consumption, custody transfer verification, inventory visibility, operating context, and timely review.
When fuel data is measured consistently, client conversations become more productive. Teams can focus on what happened operationally, where performance can improve, and whether fuel use aligned with the job.
In long-term charters, fuel accountability is not a one-time report.
It is the proof of performance that protects trust throughout the contract.
To learn how Fueltrax supports long-term charter fuel accountability, customer reporting, and offshore operational visibility, contact the Fueltrax team.
Operational Intelligence: The Foundation of Offshore Vessel Efficiency
How measured fuel and vessel data help offshore teams understand performance, reduce uncertainty, and make better fleet decisions.
Offshore operations generate constant activity, but activity does not always create understanding.
A vessel may be transiting, standing by, operating on DP, supporting cargo work, maneuvering near an asset, or waiting on weather. Each condition affects fuel use, engine hours, emissions, maintenance exposure, and job performance differently.
Daily reports may show what happened, but they often do not explain why it happened or whether it matched the operating condition.
Operational intelligence connects measured fuel data with vessel activity. It helps teams understand how fuel was used, what the vessel was doing, and where performance can improve.
Key Findings
Offshore efficiency cannot be understood from fuel totals alone.
Daily reports often lack enough context to explain performance changes.
Shared visibility helps vessel and shore teams work from the same operating picture.
EFMS data turns fuel measurement into practical fleet insight.
Better context supports stronger planning, benchmarking, and decision-making.
Operational Problem
Offshore vessels do not operate in one mode all day.
A PSV, crew boat, anchor handler, construction vessel, or diving support vessel may shift between transit, standby, DP, cargo operations, maneuvering, hotel load, and auxiliary demand during a single job.
A daily fuel total does not explain that complexity.
It may show consumption, but not whether the burn was driven by weather, waiting time, power demand, operating mode, cargo activity, or equipment configuration.
Without measured operational context, teams may see the numbers but miss the cause.
Operators need intelligence that connects vessel activity to efficiency, reliability, and fleet performance.
Why It Matters Offshore
Offshore efficiency is not simply about using less fuel.
It is about understanding whether fuel, equipment, and time were used appropriately for the operation.
Weather shifts. Job scopes change. Clients adjust schedules. Vessels wait, move, hold position, load cargo, support offshore assets, and return to standby.
Performance must be interpreted against that reality.
Without operational intelligence, normal activity can look inefficient and real inefficiency can hide inside normal totals.
Operational intelligence gives teams a common operating picture. It supports better planning, fairer performance review, faster issue investigation, stronger communication, and more useful fleet benchmarking.
For offshore fleets, the value is not just knowing what happened.
It is understanding what the data means.
What We’ve Seen Offshore
Offshore performance issues often begin with missing context.
A vessel may burn more fuel because it spent additional time on DP. Another may show higher consumption because cargo operations extended. A third may accumulate engine hours during standby because equipment remained online for readiness.
From a report, those cases may look similar.
Operationally, they are different.
Common offshore patterns include:
Daily totals rarely explain vessel activity.
Fuel burn is often reviewed after the opportunity to adjust passes.
Standby, DP, maneuvering, and auxiliary load can materially change performance.
Shore teams may not see the operating condition behind the number.
Vessel teams may lack measured data to validate operational decisions.
Maintenance and emissions impacts are often reviewed separately from fuel performance.
Fleet comparisons can be misleading without operating context.
The strongest offshore operators do not look at fuel, activity, and performance separately.
They connect them.
Fueltrax Perspective
Fueltrax approaches operational intelligence as the connection between measured fuel data, vessel activity, and fleet decision-making.
The Fueltrax marine fuel management platform gives offshore operators continuous visibility into fuel movement, consumption patterns, and vessel performance. With input from real mariners, Fueltrax’s fuel efficiency materials provide accurate data for faster decisions, direct fuel consumption measurement, real-time data streaming, onboard activity monitoring, optimization tools, and 24/7 health monitoring and diagnostic overwatch.
For offshore operations, that matters because efficiency depends on understanding the operation behind the number.
Fueltrax is known to support total fuel savings of up to 19.3% by helping operators optimize each mode individually, from transit to DP and standby.
These perspectives build on practical offshore requirements:
Measured Fuel Data
Operational intelligence starts with reliable measurement. Fueltrax helps operators move beyond estimates by measuring fuel consumption and fuel activity directly.
Operating Context
Fuel data becomes more useful when it is tied to what the vessel was doing. Transit, standby, DP, cargo operations, maneuvering, and auxiliary load all create different fuel profiles.
Performance Analysis
When fuel burn is connected to vessel activity and equipment use, operators can better distinguish expected consumption from avoidable waste.
Real-Time Visibility
Real-time visibility helps operators identify changes, exceptions, and trends while there is still time to act.
Fleet-Level Insight
Fleet-level visibility helps operators understand patterns across vessels, jobs, regions, and operating modes.
Decision Support
Fueltrax helps turn measured data into practical insight for marine operations, fleet management, maintenance, finance, chartering, and sustainability teams.
Fueltrax helps operators move from fuel reporting to operational intelligence.
Operational Takeaways
Operational intelligence is the foundation of offshore vessel efficiency.
Offshore teams need to know more than how much fuel was consumed. They need to understand what the vessel was doing, what equipment was running, and whether the result matched the operation.
That requires measured data, operating context, and timely visibility.
When those pieces are connected, operators can reduce uncertainty, identify avoidable waste, improve benchmarking, and make better fleet decisions.
Following my attendance at the Saudi Arabia Petroleum Congress in Dharan earlier this year and with Dubai hosting COP28 in a few weeks, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a look at the impact of sustainability on the marine service business in Saudi Arabia and the wider Arabian peninsula.
Assuming that none of us want to live in the dark, we all recognize that the world’s short to medium-term demands for affordable energy cannot be met by renewables alone.
This means oil and gas still have a significant role to play over the next 20 years or so as we transition towards a cleaner, low-carbon world.
With this in mind, the future of both the Saudi Arabian oilfield and the maritime service markets that serve it look set to achieve impressive growth. With a combined market value of $12.08 billion in 2023, recent forecasts indicate that this will soar to a remarkable $19.68 billion by 2030.1
As someone whose job involves regular contact with clients, business people, and politicians associated with the marine industry in Saudi I know that managing this huge growth is generating many challenges in the MENA region, particularly in regard to sustainability.
Or to put it more prosaically, how do we keep the lights on and make the best use of our resources without further compromising the planet?
Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, is in a challenging position. They have set themselves admirably high standards and targets for sustainable operations to meet the Kingdom’s ambition for Vision 2030 and Net-Zero 2060.
However, to ensure they can produce enough oil and gas to meet the world’s immediate energy demands, their oil fields are currently running at a very high level.
One impact of this is that Aramco currently complements its own fleet of 400 or so service vessels by chartering additional vessels to meet demand. Which makes enforcement of fuel monitoring standards more difficult.
As Aramco wants to be a better steward of the fuel it supplies to its charterers,how can it influence fuel and emission standards within its supply chain?
The answer lies in digitization.
However, this can’t just be software for software’s sake. Software is one part of it certainly, but the data that informs the software must be absolutely accurate and incorruptible.
Otherwise, every recommendation the software makes and every operational decision that is made based on those recommendations will be skewed by bad data.
Getting data you can rely on means installing the right hardware and sensors on each vessel to accurately measure fuel consumption and then having the means to relay this data securely in real-time to the captain, the crew, the C-suite, and any other stakeholders. Because when everybody involved in operating the fleet can access the same performance data at the same time, the doors open to a whole range of opportunities for efficiency gains in fleet operation.
Ahmed Al Qadeeb, managing director of Rawabi Energy, a provider of marine off shore services in Saudi Arabia that supplies charter vessels to Aramco had this to say about the environmental and performance benefits gained by using Fueltrax products.
“We have applied a fuel management solution through our partnership with the US company Fueltrax. This allows us to monitor the fuel consumption in our vessels and optimize throttle performance, which has resulted in a 7.8% reduction in fuel consumption without disrupting operations.
As of October 2022, we had 23 vessels equipped with the Fueltrax system. This reduction in fuel use means we reduce our fleet’s CO2emissions by 4 million kg a year. These emissions are equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 984 vehicles emit per year, or what a 737 aircraft emits in 50,000 hours of flying.”2
Rawabi Energy is currently installing the Fueltrax solution across its fleet of 160 vessels, a fleet that is growing all the time to help Aramco deliver the energy the world requires in a more sustainable and efficient way.
Of course, sustainability isn’t just about reducing emissions to meet green house gas targets. It also means helping the local communities in which you operate become more self-sufficient, by giving them the skills they need to compete and adapt to the changes being brought about by the energy transition.
This is why we are proud to partner with the Saudi National Maritime Academy to jointly investigate offshore vessel optimization and sustainability technology training for the upcoming generation of professional mariners.
By equipping deck and engineering officer cadets with the right knowledge and skills to implement sustainable practices at sea successfully, we’re not only helping make Saudi greener we’re helping the Kingdom achieve the Saudization element of its Vision 2030 goal; up-skilling the local workforce to ensure they can secure jobs in the new and emerging economies.
With regulatory changes regarding carbon intensity soon to arrive plus government-launched GHG reduction initiatives on the horizon, it’s clear that the Kingdom means business when it comes to sustainability.
With so many major oil and gas companies in the MENA region, it’s only a matter of time before others follow Aramco’s lead in investing in proper fuel management within its fleet and the supply chain. And when they do, everyone at Fueltrax will be there to help them achieve their goals.
As Faisal Alzahrani, managing director of Integrated Marine Solutions (IMS), a one-stop shop providing marine services for maritime industrial operations in the Saudi offshore market says,
“I can confidently say Fueltrax is a very important and crucial stepping stone towards more efficient energy consumption in the kingdom. It aligns perfectly with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious pledge tocut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2060.”3
For ship operators, bunker fuel management can feel like placing square pegs in round holes. There is a cost to balancing trade partners to understand, report, and reduce maritime fuel consumption with the duty to safeguard machinery, manage suppliers relationships,and ensure that voyages remain safe, profitable and on-schedule.
Even small fleets require a sophisticated management approach to tracking fuel consumption, monitoring bunkering events, verifying that deliveries are on specification, detecting discrepancies and quality issues, and matching custody transfers received against anticipated volumes.
Bunkering has become an inexact and inefficient operation, compounded by costly margins for error. But today’s more regulated and competitive tonnage market requires a more positive fuel management approach. Proven technology such as Fueltrax is available to solve fuel-related challenges without resorting to financial write-offs. But how do ship owners quantify the upside potential of electronic fuel management technology? If electronic fuel management systems (EFMS) can yield such significant returns, can a modern fleet afford not to have one? The secret is to go with the flow.
Can Shipowners Afford Not To Have an Electronic Fuel Management System Onboard?
In the same way that large retailers surrender to theft, fraud or cashier error by writing-off “shrinkage” on their balance sheets, shipowners accept reduced profits as a result of bunker fraud, off-spec deliveries and a litany of associated issues.
But the days of pricing inefficiency into shipping are over. Despite a recent cash windfall in the liner trades resulting from a unique set of market conditions, economic and geopolitical uncertainty is poised to return shipping to more familiar margin territories. Between tightening regulatory regimes, market based measures such as carbon taxation and emissions trading schemes, demand-side pressure from scope 3 emissions, poseid on lending and the zeitgeist of stakeholder capitalism, cost management has never been more important.
The pressures are more than monetary. Ship owners and charterers must contemplate pursuing non-financial goals related to environmental protection, social equity and good governance. For operators who are resolved to remaining competitive in this decade and beyond, the winds of economic and environmental change demand a conscious approach to decarbonization and new technology.
At its core, decarbonization is minimizing environmental harm by eliminating excess carbon emissions. Since a meaningful reduction in sea freight demand is unlikely in the foreseeable future, it is down to efficiency and technological breakthroughs to close the gap. But efficiency doesn’t just eliminate waste, it also reduces cost and risk, boosting profits and giving businesses more head room.
Electronic Fuel Management Systems (EFMS) liberates efficiency where it is most needed. Fueltrax EFMS blends robust mass flow technology with remote connectivity, intuitive software and data analytics to deliver a blended approach to fuel management.
Fueltrax measures every bunkering event and operating cycle 24 hours a day, wherever the ship is located. The data generated can be used to support decision making, resulting in measurable gains in efficiency, dramatically reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and cost. Since payback periods can be as short as 12-18 months, the decision to install a Fueltrax EFMS is a matter of basic arithmetic; you just have to know the numbers. Here we explore those in a bit more detail.
Consumption is Key
Many operators point to a need for developments in alternative fuel technology and infrastructure as a reason for falling behind the curve on net-zero. While this is a reasonable position, there is a growing consensus that operational efficiency, i.e. burning less of the conventional fuel we have, can be achieved today. In fact, the era of sustainability-linked technological change is well underway in shipping. According to Clarksons data from June 2023, Energy Saving Technology (EST) has been fitted on at least 6,250 ships, totalling 27.3% of fleet tonnage1
For the two-thirds who are yet to invest in any EST, there are choices. Fuel efficiency and carbon reduction measures are not confined to alternative fuels. Measures centered on reducing the consumption of conventional fuels, as is possible with EFMS, can have a transformative impact on carbon intensity and total carbon emissions.
A Thetius study from 2021 pointed out that perhaps up to 70% of the effort required from shipping to meet IMO-mandated emissions reduction targets could be achieved by reducing conventional fuel consumption by finding operational efficiencies 2. Allied to the environmental case, the same report linked increased profitability, citing a study from Aalto University that showed that mid-range tankers improved their profitability by 17.8% as a result of voyage optimization, mostly by reducing peak shaft power and using data to understand the voyage profile from a fuel consumption perspective3. The most effective way to manage the consumption of any type of marine fuel is to install an EFMS.
The Benefits of a Hardware-Supported EFMS
A joint IBIA and BIMCO survey conducted in 2022 canvassed 189 maritime professionals for their opinions on bunker licensing schemes, mass flow meters (MFMs) and other fuel security issues. An overwhelming 91% agreed that there is a need for increased transparency between suppliers and buyers of marine fuels. About 1 in 60 custody transfers end in formal quantity disputes, costing buyers an average of $27,790 per incident. While many are settled commercially, 1 in 4 results in legal action. Worryingly, nearly 60% of respondents had experienced off-quantity issues over the previous 12 months4.
As MFM technology becomes more common, the advantages are becoming better understood. 84% of survey respondents believed that quantity issues would decrease with the use of mass flow technology. The reason is self-evident. Placing secure technology in the line that not only records fluid quantity but can also discriminate between the target fuel grades and contaminants such as water or waste chemicals, and detect air bubbles in the flow, eliminates opportunities for suppliers to deviate from the bunker delivery note for any reason.
EFM systems provide a readily available and cost-effective solution to increasing efficiency, and reducing consumption and carbon emissions. But what is less well understood is the attractively low pay back periods; between one and two years for most applications. This is especially attractive given the scale of carbon reductions and margin improvements that they provide. (See Results below.)
The Fueltrax EFMS is compatible with all fuel grades and even works with alternative fuels, making it a vital transition technology. EFMS are readily available and future proof. This makes them equally applicable to new builds with cutting-edge, alternative-ready propulsion systems, as they are a viable retrofit option for existing vessels with as little as two or three years of trading life remaining.
Why Model What You Can Measure?
This type of technology should be a straightforward choice, but the maritime tech market has become a confusing place in recent years. Words like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Digital Twin are bandied around, often misguidedly. Some of these have their place, but these technologies can stray into providing solutions where more conventional wisdom works best.
Intelligent fuel management doesn’t require convoluted algorithms understood only by the artificial intelligence that created them. It starts with accurately measuring fuel flow using mass flow metering (MFM) technology and ends with applying that data intelligently to solving the efficiency puzzle. Installing robust, maintenance-free Coriolis MFMs takes the guesswork out of bunkering and custody transfers. Since the amount of fuel stemmed and the amount of fuel used during operations are the cornerstones of consumption management, it pays to remove uncertainty by taking real measurements. For Fueltrax users, this boosts the confidence level to an unsurpassed 99.5% or higher.
Good Data Support Good Decisions
Limiting shaft power can result in significant reductions in fuel consumption and voyage costs. The most effective way to limit shaft power is to provide data-driven, real time advice to the bridge team. Maneuvering in traffic dense areas, transiting port approaches and arriving at and leaving a berth can have a detrimental impact on consumption. For vessels which are frequently exposed to conditions which require variable power demands such as feeder vessels, ferries, cruise ships, and tugs, optimizing throttle position and shaft power can make a significant contribution to fuel savings but only when the right data is at hand.
The Fueltrax approach puts consumption data in the hands of the bridge team right where it is needed – at the throttle control. This approach not only results in measurable efficiency gains, but it invests the master and bridge team in the efficiency process. This has been shown to be good for crew morale and retention, but it also provides a vital layer of human oversight. After all, the bridge team remains responsible for the safe navigation of the ship and the best solutions involve human and machine in decision making processes.
Results
For most designs, the power required to move a ship increases in a cubic relationship to the speed. This is heavily influenced by weather and sea conditions, draft, biofouling and many other factors. As such, fuel consumption is consistently the largest variable in voyage related costs. Understanding fuel consumption as a variable cost component in voyage planning and execution is a vital part of running ships profitably. For example, it is normal to agree voyage speeds and codify them into voyage charter party agreements. From the ship owners perspective, this speed should be minimized sufficiently to reduce fuel costs, thus maximizing profitability. An EFMS like Fueltrax can provide vital, near real-time information on the consumption profile for the vessel, allowing commercial teams to use the most favorable voyage speeds, balancing charterer requirements with present performance criteria.
Equally, ascertaining the correct speed to use during ballast legs requires accurate consumption information to balance the requirement to minimize excess fuel consumption with the demands of the freight market. A market experiencing declining freight rates might warrant a faster passage to make the vessel available for hire and find a fixture before rates drop further. Conversely, a bigger focus on maximizing fuel economy is likely to be warranted in a rising freight rate environment.In all scenarios, knowing the threshold at which fuel savings offset reductions in Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) earnings resulting from longer sea passages requires accurate, real-time data.
Fueltrax has a long history of delivering these kinds of insights since it launched in 2006. The Fueltrax family have refined the technology in partnership with our customers using the experience gained from operating Fueltrax on over 800 commercial vessels.
Don’t just take our word for it. In 2022, Fueltrax partnered with Tidewater on their carbon emissions reduction project. What started as a 90-day pilot developed into a prospering partnership encompassing a technology deployment across 41 vessels. In the first 12 months, 41 EFMS installations connected to Fueltrax unique advisory services resulted in a saving of nearly 2.5 million gallons of fuel, $9.7 million USD in costs, and 19,336 Mt of CO2. This represented a payback period of just over one year.
To find out how Fueltrax can apply our patented technology, real-time connectivity and data analytics, and highly impactful consultancy services to your decarbonization and cost reduction goals, contact our friendly team today
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From the Gulf Coast to the Middle East, and from South East Asia to Africa, Fueltrax secures sustainable performance for more than 800 vessel owners, charterers, and operators across the world.
Talk to us to discover how to join them.
Get in touch
From the Gulf Coast to the Middle East, and from South East Asia to Africa, Fueltrax secures sustainable performance for more than 800 vessel owners, charterers, and operators across the world.
Talk to us to discover how to join them.
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