The maritime cargo fleet consist of 90.000 vessels worldwide, which carries 90% of world trade. These vessels burn 370 million tons/year fuel, and are responsible for 3% of the total global CO2 emissions and 20 million tons for SOx1 emissions annually.
The world society is fastening the grip on shipping industry emissions control by rapidly increasing the regulation scheme with stricter emission limits and mandatory reporting. From 2018, new international regulations will be applied to all ships larger than 5000 gross tons (IMO MRV2 – monitoring, reporting and verification). The new regulations require collection of consumption data for each type of fuel in use, as well as other relevant operational data reporting.
These regulations demand equipment to be installed in both new builds and existing ships, and the technology available today is not optimal for the customers due to limited measurements, high capital expenditures and high operating expenses. Ship owners request reliable measurement system covering regulatory reporting and functionality specifically aiming at fuel reduction for existing ships, as fuel typically accounts for 50% of ship operating expenses.
XSENS disruptive flow measurement technology is a non-invasive technology that allows for measurement and imaging of flow rate and fluid properties at the entire fuel pipe cross section. Such real-time qualitative fuel assessment and accurate flow measurement has never been available as a clamp-on instrument, which is particularly beneficial for retrofit installation at existing pipes. It also reduces the complex installation on new builds.
XSENS plans to develop the technology for ship fuel flow measurement, including functionality for verification of bunkers oil quality, at affordable cost to a wide range of ship markets. The XSENS ship fuel meter target significant ship fuel consumption reduction as well as correct and cost-efficient emission reporting in a market of 90.000 existing ships and new-builds. A near-future boost in the ship fuel flow meter market is expected, as International Maritime (IMO) emission reporting becomes mandatory world-wide in 2018.
The new ship fuel flow meter will be developed and introduced to the market in close co-operation with Kyma AS, a rapidly growing supplier of ship performance monitoring systems. Kyma has an install-base of more than 4000 ship-installations world-wide for fuel cost reduction, maintenance planning and fuel consumption reporting.
The project has received verification funding from the FORNY2020 program at the Norwegian Research Council.