New Maritime Decision Support System Reduces Fuel Consumption

16 July 2008

Finland-based Eniram Ltd., is offering a new Dynamic Trimming Assistant (DTA) system for the international maritime market that helps vessel officers optimize trim at all times, thereby minimizing water resistance, decreasing fuel consumption, and reducing emissions.

Eniram DTA continuously collects and displays real-time data of vessel attitude, and displays the optimum trim—the longitudinal angle of the vessel—for prevailing circumstances. Trim optimization can cut fuel consumption by several percentage points, leading to potential annual savings of hundreds of thousands of Euros per vessel.

The DTA is based on dynamic data that is automatically retrieved from operational vessel management applications and purpose-built sensors. The core of the system is its multidimensional analysis model, which continuously calculates the key forces affecting the vessel attitude.

The system is deployable either in the construction phase or at any time during the lifecycle of sea vessels.

Decreasing fuel consumption is the single fastest way to save costs, reduce emissions and gain competitive advantage in the shipping industry. Fleet modernization will only help to a limited extent, as fuel consumption in modern vessels is in fact not that different from older vessels. A more efficient and faster deployable solution is to ensure that the vessels are operated right.

—Eero Lehtovaara, captain and Manager of Marine Operations for Eniram