Shipowner invests after trial of on top engine management tool

The ‘on-top’ engine management system, Frugal Propulsion, was developed by a Danish start-up Frugal Technologies. The solution was was installed on the 4,700dwt chemical/products tanker Endelo Swan in June 2020. Analysis of the performance of the vessel over ten months of test sailing reveals that the vessel achieved a fuel saving of 12.2%.

As a result, Uni-Tankers has decided to roll out the system to three similar sized tankers, Fenno Swan, Feo Swan and Lillo Swan, in 2021.

Frugal Propulsion is a patented and class-approved on-top system which ensures that the engine and propeller are constantly optimised in relation to draught, load, waves and wind. The system does not require any manual adjustments.

“Our system is based on sensors, Big Data and learning algorithms which are constantly getting smarter. For the shipowner, this means that the fuel savings will increase as the system gets to know the ship,” explains Peter Hauschildt, naval architect and CEO of Frugal Technologies.

The solution has been tested and documented on a number of ships at various shipping companies, including a larger 49,000dwt chemical/product tanker. Previous tests show an average fuel saving of 10-15% and an ROI of 6-18 months, depending on consumption.

“Frugal Propulsion is a new technology with few references, but the documentation behind the system is convincing. We initially had a concern about whether the engine risked overloading. However, Frugal Technologies was able to quickly quell this through performance tests. If the next installations perform as expected, we are ready to invest further,” says Peter V. Stokbro, Technical Director at Uni-Tankers.