Trending: Maersk slowing down

[Gommit77]

The big news in the marine industry today is based on a reasearch that Maersk has conducted on reduced speed for a vessel in their fleet.

 

Bloomberg reports:

Maersk vessels sustained zero damage from slowing since the Copenhagen-based owner began lowering speeds to cut fuel costs in 2007, Jan de Kat, Maersk senior technical adviser, said by phone Sept. 30. The ship owner’s operating expenses declined as a result of the practice because it placed less strain on the engines, meaning they required less maintenance, he said.

 

“If you look at average speeds, we think they will be slower,” de Kat said. “There were a lot of concerns about soot build-up, vibrations and propeller health. We addressed those concerns and found solutions.”

The most economical speed for container ships is 10 to 15 knots instead of the standard 25 knots, according to the company, which has a fleet of about 500 vessels, de Kat said.

 

More details at gCaptain:

The study was conducted with the help of their engine suppliers, primarily Wartsila and Man Diesel & Turbo SE as failures were expected. Mechanical problems, including the build up of soot and carbon deposits, were primary concerns, however other issues pointed at the use of marine lubricants and the possible degradation of system lubrication at reduced speed. The study found that mechanical adjustments to the engines and changes to maintenance procedures were able to mitigate the minor drawbacks engineers witnessed. In short, failures did not occur.

It will be interesting to follow the discussions based on this report. What is your take?