WinGD has developed a special tuning for the FiTS2 system and WinGD sales & marketing vp Rolf Stiefel told Seatrade Maritime News that “the market is ready for it”.
While there are some who believe that owners will stop slow steaming once the market recovers, ABB Turbo Systems Global Turbocharging Sales senior gm Arie Smits believed that the slow steaming, low load trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Thus with engine sensors and other new features of electronically controlled engines from WinGD’s side, which was not previously available and ABB’s new system, the opportunity for the market to take advantage of the new technology is there.
“By combining the competences of ABB and WinGD we have been able to create something that is pretty unique,” Stiefel said.
ABB claims that fuel savings of 3% to 5% compared with fuel consumption levels of typical conventional turbocharging systems on low speed diesel engines can be achieved.
“We can optimise the system to the load profile of the shipowners,” said Smits, while Stiefel added that the best results will be achieved if they work with the system manufacturers to tune it to their specific needs.
Through this full pay back can be achieved in two years at current fuel prices, Smits suggested. ABB says that over ten years, depending on the load profile and price of fuel, savings can come up to $500,000 for a VLCC and over $1m for a container vessel.
Stiefel believed the market segments where the technology would be best applied would be bigger sized engines in 15,000 kw to 60,000 kw range. He added that it is particularly suitable for ship types which have variable operations such as VLCCs which typically have a major laden headhaul component and a ballasted portion on the way back or iron ore trade bulkers which would have a similar load profile. Likewise they could also function well on container ships which may have widely varying voyage speeds at different stages of their services and thus also wide load windows.
“We expect the first order to come out of these segments,” Stiefel concluded.
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