DNV GL and Hempel to co-operate for measurable fleet performance improvement

At Marintec China trade fair, Hempel and DNV GL have signed a co-operation agreement to work together to bring customers clear, comprehensible and verifiable analytics to track and assess hull and propeller performance, for reduced fuel costs and a smaller environmental impact.

To reap the benefits of any efficiency improvements reliable measurement and analytics are essential, both to set baselines and to calculate returns.

"We are very pleased to be able to work with Hempel to bring their customers ECO Insight’s state of the art hull degradation analytics,” said Torsten Büssow, Head of Fleet Performance Management at DNV GL. "This data will not only give their customers transparent and verified data with only a few simple measurement inputs. It will also give Hempel access to advanced analytics for the further optimisation of their coatings. We’ve already seen the benefits our customers have gained from having real fleet performance analytics easily available – especially in the area of hull and propeller performance – and we’d like to welcome Hempel customers to the ECO Insight family.”

The potential for improvements in hull and propeller performance on the energy efficiency of vessels is significant, with estimates of potential savings in the range of 10% in terms of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions savings. ECO Insight can offer better performance baselines and demonstrate a more explicit relationship between hull and propeller performance and the actual fuel consumed. This allows customers who have invested in Hempel’s high quality coatings the ability to better quantify the value of their investment.

"At Hempel we place great importance in being close to our customers and providing the best individual service. With the data analysed by DNV GL, we will be able to optimise our customers’ fuel performance, improving hull performance matching specifications precisely to individual needs and trade, dry dock intervals and technical service in dock,” said Christian Ottosen, Group Vice President, Marine Marketing, Hempel. "This will benefit our customers and support their businesses being more efficient in their operations. So far, we have been very pleased to co-operate with DNV GL and we look forward to working even closer with their staff from now on.”

With one of the most sophisticated analysis methodologies for hull and propeller performance on the market, ECO Insight uses advanced normalisation algorithms to increase the accuracy of its analysis and is able to benchmark a vessel’s performance relative to other similar vessels. Additionally, by tapping into additional ship specific data (beyond what is used to calculate performance) ECO Insight’s analytics can be used to further customise paint specifications up front and to proactively manage performance once the ship enters service.