Hamburg : E.R. Schiffahrt, the German shipowning and shipmanagement company with activities in container, bulk and offshore vessels, is looking to trumpet its world-leading ship efficiency claims as a way to further its business niche. Nils Aden, ceo of the Hamburg-headquartered firm, lists some of the things the company has been doing to make its ships use less fuel.
It started very early to retrofit vessels, a process Aden calls “anti-ageing”.
“The results are measurable and very convincing,” he says. New propellers and bulbous bows result in 15% savings regarding fuel costs.
E.R. Schiffahrt crews receive diverse trainings focusing on fuel efficiency. The company has developed an e-learning tool on the subject
E.R. Schiffahrt has also developed and installed a monitoring system called FuelSafe on its vessels in order to measure fuel consumption in an automated and precise way. It has also developed the first-ever ship and route-specific crew planning tool that optimises the scheduling of working hours onboard. This instrument is capable of accurately planning the number and composition of crew for a particular ship size and route and the work processes required during port stays.
All owners are trying to control their costs, Aden says. “So fuel efficiency still matters even though the oil price is currently on a low level,” he adds. “At the same time cargo and trading flexibility is absolute important to utilise a vessel best possible. Owners pay great attention to asset protection. Charterers focus on a competitive vessel and schedule reliability.”
