World News
Hydrex Nabs Energy Globe Award for Bunker-Saving Propeller Buffing Technique
Hydrex says it has been awarded the Energy Globe Award for 2017 from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce for its bunker-saving propeller buffing technique.
The award was presented to Hydrex CEO Boud van Rompay at the company's Antwerp headquarters by Martina Madeo of the Austrian Embassy in Brussels.
Hydrex says altered shape and the roughness of ground blades can increase bunker consumption by as much as 10 percent.
"The conventional method of cleaning propellers involves polishing with a grinding wheel. This not only risks altering the blade profile, resulting in a loss of efficiency and weakening the propeller, it can provoke environmental damage by causing metal particles to drop into the sediment, a significant problem in ports where such operations are frequently undertaken," said van Rompay.
The company's method employs a lighter, more frequent cleaning with a less-aggressive tool than a grinding wheel.
The Austrian Chamber of Commerce awarded Hydrex with the award on the basis that the technique can offer fuel savings of 5 percent or more.
"The optimum solution involves catching the propeller before it has a chance to build up a calcareous layer," said van Rompay, adding: "if done right and done regularly it can result in significant energy savings. No material is ground away, which is good for the propeller and the environment.
"For a ship that has a medium level of fuel consumption, the savings far outweigh the cost of the propeller cleaning itself. Because the propeller is being cleaned regularly any loss of material and hence increased roughness is prevented entirely."
In November, Ship & Bunker reported that an experiment using the Hydrex technique carried out on a 134 m cruise ship showed fuel savings of $2,100 on a 30-hour trip from Aruba to Barbados - a 5 percent savings compared to the same trip operating rough propellers.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 649.50 | 2.00 | 778.50 | 8.50 |
| Rotterdam | 602.00 | 0.50 | 748.00 | 6.00 |
| Houston | 624.00 | 5.00 | 792.00 | 3.50 |
| Fujairah | 649.50 | 2.00 | 898.00 | 3.00 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 662.00 | 2.00 | 855.00 | 1.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 631.00 | 1.00 | 804.00 | 0.50 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 717.50 | 0.50 | 913.50 | 1.00 |
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