Shipbuilding industry: Demand for fuel in shipping [Part 11]

In the latest episode, Marcin Ryngwelski, president of Thesta, discovers aspects of fuel consumption on ships and ships. When considering the question of how often it comes to buying a car: "How much does it burn?", it takes the issue to the scale of sea giants.

How much fuel does it take to fuel huge ships traversing the seas and oceans? What technologies are used to manage this consumption? This episode sheds light on these questions, showing both technological and ecological challenges of modern shipping.

Fuel demand in ships and ships

Does the shipowner, when ordering a ship, care how much fuel it will burn? The answer is obvious: yes! This information is essential and provided to the shipowner already in the design and selection of propulsion systems. The planned fuel consumption also affects the design of fuel tanks.

Unlike cars where fuel is counted in litres, fuel consumption on ships is measured in tonnes per day. Large ships, longer than 150 metres, have power exceeding 100 Formula 1 cars, but their maximum speed is only about 24-30 knots (about 44.5 to 55 km/h). Reaching this power requires burning huge amounts of fuel, generating significant carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂) into the atmosphere.

Real fuel consumption

Moreover, large ships can burn more than 100 tons of fuel per day, equivalent to about 100,000 litres. It's more than a regular truck in the daytime. The tanks needed must be large enough to accommodate such fuel for long voyages. For example, sea transport from China to Gdynia or Gdańsk, with stops only in Rotterdam and Hamburg, takes about 40 days (assuming that refuelling takes place only in Poland). This means that such voyage requires 4,000 tons of fuel (40 days x 100 tons). To lift that amount of fuel, four Crist Shipyard cranes would be needed.

Tanking – not at a regular gas station

Do ships refuel at a regular gas station? Of course not. Ships use special heavy fuel that is not available at standard stations. The refueling process is called bunkering and is carried out using specially adapted tankers, equipped with powerful pumps and hoses with large cross-sections. Bunkering is possible in ports and on reds in so-called "Bankers". The entire process of fuel handling can take several hours.

The fuel system of ships and ships is carefully planned at the technical design stage to ensure the efficiency and safety of refuelling.

Another episode soon... ⚓️

Source: Marcin Ryngwelski/Linkedln

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