ABS Develops Tanker Energy Efficiency Plan

by | May 31, 2011

This article is included in these additional categories:

The American Bureau of Shipping has helped Maran Tankers Management to develop, review and revise an enterprise-wide efficiency management plan which ABS says could serve as an industry model for environmental performance management.

Founded in 1862, ABS is an international classification society that aims to protect safety, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. MTM is the largest tanker operator in Greece.

ABS says the plan will identify measures to maximize operational efficiency throughout MTM’s fleet, and establishes a management tool for the company and its vessels. Maran’s goal, through the plan, is to continually improve the energy efficiency of all sea-borne operations.

The plan is linked to MTM’s energy efficiency management policy and to its Environmental Program on Energy Efficiency, implemented in accordance with ISO 14001 procedures. The plan complies with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) guidelines and also takes into account INTERTANKO’s Guide for a Tanker Energy Efficiency Management Plan and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum’s (OCIMF) Guide for Energy Efficiency and Fuel Management.

“MTM has incorporated fuel saving measures and efficiency technology across our new building specifications and ship operations. However, having in place [this plan] allows these measures to be documented and monitored for further improvement,” MTM managing director Stavros Hatzigrigoris said. “It also allows us to be proactive and satisfy the upcoming regulations.”

ABS vice president of global technology and business development Kirsi Tikka, who leads the society’s Environmental Solutions group, said the plan’s operational efficiency elements were based on IMO’s SEEMP. This is a ship-specific tool aimed at continuous improvement of a vessel’s performance.

“It can be thought of as a catalogue of best practices that may be implemented on a particular vessel to improve its fuel efficiency,” Tikka said. “SEEMP plans can serve as a key ingredient to a broader corporate energy management plan like the one developed by MTM.”

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This