Ardmore Shipping chooses Lean Marine’s FuelOpt to enhance fleet efficiency

Successful performance of Lean Marine’s FuelOpt on the Ardmore Sealion prompts Ardmore Shipping to equip the balance of its fleet with propulsion optimization technology to improve overall fleet efficiency

Swedish propulsion optimization experts Lean Marine have signed a contract with tanker operator, Ardmore Shipping Corporation, to install its FuelOpt propulsion optimization technology across its fleet. This new agreement follows on the heels of the success of the FuelOpt installation onboard the MR tanker Ardmore Sealion in 2020. 

Lean Marine and Ardmore will also collaborate closely to enhance the overall performance of the Ardmore fleet and help these vessels achieve more sustainable ship operations. Lean Marine will install its green technology onboard the additional vessels over the course of 2021.

Commenting on the partnership, Mark Cameron, Executive Vice President and COO at Ardmore Shipping said: “Lean Marine has great experience with enhancing vessel efficiency and has been supporting us in identifying key achievable means for further saving fuel and reducing emissions on the already efficient and modern Ardmore Sealion. Through this close collaboration, we will continue to exploit the potential of the FuelOpt system and explore the integration of other vessel systems to maximize the overall operational efficiency of our fleet. Ardmore Shipping’s energy transition is underway and our collaboration with Lean Marine will play an important role in the delivery of Ardmore’s Energy Transition Plan.”

Lean Marine’s FuelOpt technology is designed to ease the technical burden of greener ship operations as it automates propulsion control, thereby replacing the need for constant monitoring and manual adjustments. When using FuelOpt on the bridge, the crew gets full, automated control of vessel speed, fuel consumption and/or engine power, and are thus able to avoid potential overconsumption of fuel in harsh conditions such as high swells and winds. 

Garry Noonan, Head of Energy Transition Technologies at Ardmore Shipping, added: “We are confident that we can achieve great results by working together with Lean Marine. When working to increase the vessel efficiency of Ardmore Sealion, we achieved significant results in a very short time, as we were able to take vital actions such as controlling the vessel’s fuel consumption using the FuelOpt system. We look forward to greener operations across our fleet once the systems are installed in 2021.”

FuelOpt is exceptionally user-friendly and activation by the bridge crew can be achieved with the push of a single button from the intuitive panel on the bridge once the command on engine power, fuel consumption, speed or a combination thereof is set. 

Upon activation, the system dynamically controls vessel propulsion based on the set commands, matching the vessel’s propulsion power to the changing environmental conditions. This stabilizes the shaft power required, removing costly variations in speed and output caused by human operational factors. The use of the system ensures maximum power optimization, minimum fuel consumption and reduced emissions in real-time.

Mikael Laurin, CEO at Lean Marine says: “Ardmore Shipping’s decision to expand our collaboration shows their commitment to greener operations and their confidence in the results that our FuelOpt system delivers. We are looking forward to working with their team not only to achieve substantial fuel savings but also unlock further potential for greener operations through integration with other systems onboard the Ardmore fleet.”