Could there really be one simple secret that will transform your emissions reduction strategy and deliver greater wins for your fleet? It all boils down to the fact that when you want to cut emissions from your ships, small steps equal big wins.
Marginal gains are incremental improvements. While they might seem small on their own, added together they can have a big impact.
A great example of the difference marginal gains can make can be found in the world of competitive cycling. Back in 2003, British Cycling wasn’t in a good place, with no Olympic gold medal wins for nearly 100 years. David Brailsford came in with the aim to improve as many things as possible by just 1%, knowing that combining these smaller improvements would bring significant advances. His approach worked: from 2007 to 2017, the British Cycling team won 178 world championships and 66 Olympic or Paralympic gold medals.
Could marginal gains be the awesome, simple trick you need to transform your maritime emissions strategy?
There are many ways to achieve marginal gains on your vessel. Here are our top three picks.
In the maritime industry, smaller efficiency improvements can sometimes be overlooked. Making sure engines are operating as efficiently as possible can supercharge your decarbonisation journey. By making lots of small improvements you can stack up substantial fuel savings – and therefore a significant reduction in emissions.
For example, the ferry operator Wasaline made smaller upgrades to the engines onboard their Aurora Botnia ship. Although these upgrades might seems small, saving just a few per cent in annual fuel consumption, those savings had a huge financial impact in terms of the company’s fuel bill. You can learn more in this Insights article: What did Wasaline do to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions?
One simple efficiency improvement is to make sure your engine’s powertrain is optimised to match its operating profile, with the flexibility to cover your full range of sailing speeds.
Monitoring and maintaining critical components can make a big difference in terms of your vessel’s overall carbon emissions. For example, exchanging a filter or cleaning an air cooler at the right time can help to cut fuel consumption by around 2% – and data can tell us when that time is.
With accurate engine data, even very small deviations in performance can be picked up and addressed before they turn into bigger, potentially more expensive problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a huge help because it can spot deviations that might take humans a lot longer to notice. Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight service is one example of how AI is being used in this way.
The Japanese shipping operator MMS Co., Ltd saved tens of thousands of euros thanks to Expert Insight, which spotted a lubricating system anomaly onboard one of its LNG tankers. Read this Insights article to find out how: Solving an engine issue before it causes a breakdown.
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When you take good care of your critical components, it can bring you more gains than just a lower fuel bill and reduced emissions. Discover what these benefits are in this Insights article: The top 4 benefits of good ship engine maintenance practices.
With modern technology many common operational issues – for example an engine not starting or not operating as efficiently as it could – can be diagnosed remotely. This allows you to take prompt action to keep components operating optimally, which helps to improve efficiency and minimise emissions.
Data can also show you when it’s safe to postpone replacing a component or performing an overhaul because everything is working fine. This saves the costs and carbon emissions associated with manufacturing, shipping and fitting parts unnecessarily. It also allows you to extend equipment lifetimes without worrying about inefficient operation increasing your emissions. Keeping maintenance costs down also frees up capital to spend on other emissions reduction solutions.
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There are two main ways a service agreement could help you cut emissions. Discover what they are – and get inspired by 48 more great ways to reduce emissions from your ships – in this eBook: 50 great ways the maritime industry could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The easiest way to find the marginal gains that will work for you is with a trusted partner and a service agreement. This can help you achieve much greater efficiency, 1% or more at a time.
A service agreement with Wärtsilä can help you:
Reducing equipment downtime will also reduce emissions. Often, downtime means that you need to make up for the lost time by increasing sailing speeds between ports. Sailing faster equals higher fuel consumption and emissions. Wärtsilä service agreements have been proven to reduce unscheduled maintenance by 25% on average.
Japanese ferry operator MOL Sunflower Ltd. chose a Wärtsilä service agreement for two of its ships. The agreement ensures that the ships’ engines run at optimum efficiency, which saves fuel and reduces emissions.
Chinese integrated service provider JOVO Group selected a Wärtsilä service agreement for its Energy Spirit LNG carrier. The agreement includes smart predictive maintenance, operational support and data-driven dynamic maintenance planning.
The philosophy of marginal gains could be the awesome, simple trick you need to make your emissions reduction strategy a success. With this trick up your sleeve, you can make many small improvements that add up to one big result.
Three steps you could take are to:
The easiest way to take these steps – and more – is with expert support from a trusted partner and a service agreement.
If you’re looking to reduce emissions – and want to see your marginal gains add up to significant ones – it could be time to add your ship to the 700 others currently supported by a Wärtsilä service agreement. With 93% of customers renewing their agreement, it’s no secret that long-term gains are there for those that know where to find them.
Could a service agreement be your ticket to business success? Find out by downloading this white paper: How a service agreement could give your maritime business a competitive edge.
