Uptake of Bunker Saving Tech Slowed by Perceived Technical, Financial Risks: BMT

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 12, 2018

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has launched a new £1.8 million ($2.49 million) that aims to assist financiers to understand and quantify the benefits in investing in bunker saving technologies for both existing and future marine vessels.

The Vessel Technology Assessment System (VTAS) project is being led by BMT Group in partnership with Black & Veatch.

"There is a choice of [energy saving devices] ESDs within the commercial shipping market such as flettner rotors, high efficiency propellers and wingsail technologies and yet, the uptake to date has been somewhat slow, due to the perceived technical and financial risks of implementing these technologies," says John Buckingham at BMT.

"Through improved ship-based modelling, assessments and data validation, this project will allow us to explore the options and provide independent evidence that stakeholders can trust to make an informed decision."

David Butler, Project Manager, commented: "We hope that this project will help to tackle the market barriers that currently exist which limit the uptake of cost-effective fuel efficiency technologies. Combing this project with our current £10m portfolio of demonstrations in the areas of flettner rotor sails, high efficiency propulsion systems and new waste heat recovery technology, will help us reach our target of a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency for marine vessels."