The WorkBoat Show starts on Wednesday and this year there will be more vendors than ever promoting efficiency measures, services, products and technology.
Last post I indicated that fuel prices were on the rise - right after I said that they fell from $782.50 on 11/15 to $740.00 on 11/24. However, today they were back at $772.50. It's still any one's guess how high they will rise, but one thing for sure, the trend continues to be upward and there will be a lot of emphasis on ways to reduce fuel consumption.... Not just to save on fuel costs but also to reduce emissions.
As you wander around the show this year looking at the various efficiency offerings ask yourself one basic question. If I'm not measuring fuel consumption accurately, how will I know if any of this stuff delivers the benefits?
Marine Fuel Management systems are not only designed to help operators analyze and adjust how the vessel is being operated but to accurately measure fuel consumption to prove other technologies or strategies. The best way to do this is to generate an accurate baseline fuel consumption measurement before application of efficiency technologies or strategies and then again after the measure are in place.
One of the reasons that operators are skeptical of various efficiency measures is that in the past they have used measurements that lacked the accuracy necessary to effectively prove the benefit. A 2%-3% benefit can represent a substantial savings but without MFM it is nearly impossible to measure.
So remember -
Having good information is key to making good business decisions and MFM solutions are key to having good information about your vessels fuel consumption and operating habits.
