News

06. September 2024

Ship Efficiency: Updated guide published

[Translate to English:] MCN Ship Efficiency Guide 2024

[Translate to English:] © Anna Nekrashevich / Pexels

Efficient ship operations are a decisive lever for more climate-friendly shipping. In collaboration with industry networks, the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN) has developed a comprehensive English-language guide to ship efficiency that is available in an updated version just in time for the start of SMM Hamburg, the world’s leading trade fair for the maritime industry.

“Our guide is updated annually due to the constantly changing underlying conditions. This allows us to address the latest regulations and technologies, while also expanding the document with best practices for increasing efficiency,” emphasises Richard Marioth, head of the MCN Ship Efficiency specialist group and Managing Director of Idealship GmbH.

The guide aims to provide an overview of existing regulations in international maritime shipping, highlight technical options for decarbonisation and improving ship efficiency, and assess their impact. The technologies are relevant for both new and existing ships. An extensive chapter is also dedicated to marine fuels.

“This year we were particularly delighted with the excellent contributions from ITK Engineering, SDC Ship Design & Consult and TX Marine Messsysteme. Ultimately, it is the high level of commitment from the members of the specialist group that leads to the high quality of the document,” explains Marioth.

New features in the guide

  • The FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which comes into force in January 2025, is addressed for the first time in the guide. This aims to reduce the shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the use of low-emission and alternative fuels and by introducing stricter emission standards for ships.
     
  • There is additional information on carbon (dioxide) capture as an issue. This is important for ship efficiency as it helps to reduce emissions and supports compliance with stricter emissions regulations, which can lead to cost savings in the long term.
     
  • A new chapter describes developments in ship design over the past two decades. In recent years, numerous regulations have come into force that aim to accelerate efficiency development and therefore have a direct impact on ship design.
     
  • A chapter on performance monitoring has also been added. In terms of ship efficiency, performance monitoring involves continuously collecting and analysing data. By collecting data on the fuel consumption, speed, route selection and engine performance, precise analyses can be carried out to help identify and eliminate inefficiencies and to evaluate the measures taken to increase efficiency.
     
  • The Assessment Matrix Maritime Fuels has been revised. It compares the various fuels in terms of the engine availability, space requirements for tanks and bunker availability. In addition, the impact on the CII, EEDI/EEXI, EU-ETS and FuelEU Maritime regulations is assessed.
     
  • Additional technical solutions have been included in the guide to reflect the continuously growing market for new technologies to increase efficiency in ship operations.
     

Request guide free of charge