One of the most important levers for greater environmental protection in shipping is the efficient operation of ships. As the Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) are already in force or will be in the near future, members of the Ship Efficiency Expert Group of the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN) have initiated the development of a guideline, which has been developed together with experts over the past few months.

The MCN Ship Efficiency Guideline was presented to the public for the first time at an event organised by the Maritime Cluster on 28 September in Jork, Lower Saxony. The guideline, which is to be updated and supplemented at regular intervals, is aimed at shipping companies, ship operators and other players in the maritime industry. The aim of the document is to provide an overview of the existing regulations in international maritime shipping and to present technical options for improving ship operation, which are suitable for improving the efficiency not only of new ships but also of existing ships.

It takes a particularly detailed look at the question of how modern CO2-neutral and CO2-free marine fuels can fulfil the regulatory requirements of the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) in terms of efficiency and sustainability. The 70-page paper provides detailed information on the key fuels heavy fuel oil, marine diesel, LNG, LPG, methanol, ethanol, biofuel oil (FAME), ammonia (cooled and pressurised), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and gaseous hydrogen (GH2).

A supplementary comparison matrix - supported by colour coding - shows the effects of the different fuels with regard to the availability of engines, the space required for tanks and the availability of the bunker, among other things. This is intended to provide an initial assessment of the feasibility for the ship's technical application. In addition, the table uses traffic light colours to provide information on the current achievability of the IMO's targets for 2050.

In a second evaluation matrix, the guide shows decision-makers important technical approaches and measures to increase efficiency, combined with their impact on the most relevant key figures such as investment expenditure, return on investment and CII, EEDI and EEXI, as well as the effects on speed, operating hours and payload.

"We are very proud of the results that our specialist group and other experts have put down on paper," emphasised Katrin Caldwell, Head of the MCN's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern office, which coordinates the Ship Efficiency specialist group together with the MCN's Schleswig-Holstein office. "The guide is intended to serve as a basis for decision-making and provide a quick overview. At the same time, we would like to point out that technologies are changing rapidly, new ones are being added and we will be working on updates to the guideline."

"The matrix of technical solutions in particular must be continuously completed and updated, as new solutions continue to be added," emphasised Dr Lars Greitsch, Managing Director of Mecklenburger Metallguss and until recently Head of the Ship Efficiency specialist group. "In addition, new insights can be gained from existing technologies, which must then be categorised accordingly."

Richard Marioth presented his recommendations for dealing with the new regulations. "High-quality data and evaluation processes are essential in order to know where you stand and where there is a need for action," emphasised the member of the Ship Efficiency expert group management, adding: "Dry docking is particularly important, as the choice of paint and possible propulsion-improving measures will determine the ship's performance over the next five years within ten days." An overview of possible propulsion-improving measures can be found in the technology matrix of the guideline presented.

Here you can download the Download MCN-Guideline Ship Efficiency.