Updating existing ships
A ship is typically built for a 20-25 year lifespan and such is the pace of technical development in the marine industry that she is likely to become technically redundant quite early in her life. This has become even more of an issue in recent years, with substantial breakthroughs being made in fuel efficiency and emission control and a host of other developments that are coming onto the market.
Is the owner to grit his teeth and look forward to many years of financial results from that ship that are far less rewarding than those from a ship with the latest improvements? Or is it possible to retrofit some of these developments and keep his ship more profitable and ultimately more employable in a competitive market?
There are, it is said, a number of “low hanging fruits” that might help to keep a ship operating efficiently. A highly competent engineering staff really does make a difference in ensuring that the machinery is operating optimally. Making sure the machinery gets quality fuel and lubes, rather than merely the cheapest on the market and that spares are of good quality, also helps to minimize offhire times and get the most out of the fuel. Control of fouling also makes a difference, whether through regular underwater scrubbing or the employment of some of the latest resistance-reducing underwater coatings.
Regular polishing of propellers also makes a difference to performance. It has been suggested that the tighter control and better monitoring of all equipment performance within the engine room will almost certainly pay dividends.
Structural changes to the forebody of a ship would probably be prohibitively expensive, but some modest changes to the after end underwater might help. A Mewis Duct or other devices that improve the waterflow over the propeller have been retrofitted successfully to a large number of ships. Better cargo gear might reduce the time a ship has to stay in port, while a navigational upgrade might include a much improved autopilot that, allied to an upgraded steering gear, can help with course keeping and with less rudder movement, along with enhanced fuel economies.
Might a complete engine change be justified? During the last major shipping recession, large numbers of steam turbine driven ships, which were huge consumers of fuel were re-engined to diesel drive and restored to more profitable operation. It could be that such are the improvements in engine design now taking place that we might see older ships prolong their economic lives in such a fashion.
Source: http://www.naftrade.com/
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