Tanker Operators’ Perspective, Vessel Performance Monitoring

Tanker operators are committed to full compliance with environmental regulations while remaining competitive, irrespective of the market conditions. The major challenges are (a) the need to improve tankers’ operational performance and (b) how to evaluate tankers’ performance to assist them with taking timely action and meeting Charterers’ expectations. IMO’s efficiency index and indicator (EEDI and EEOI respectively) are based on the fuel consumption per (cargo) ton mile. Is the EEOI the right indicator to demonstrate operational performance? Does any ship operator really understand how good their ship’s performance is at any time? A constant increase in fuel consumption may prompt tanker operators to take action such as hull cleaning and propeller polishing. But what else can be measured? In their dialogue with Charterers, tanker operators discussed the need to find more appropriate and workable means to measure and demonstrate the ship’s operational performance. These measures should be commonly acceptable and understood by both tanker operators and Charterers. This, together with ever-changing environmental and regulatory requirements, led INTERTANKO to establish a Working Group (WG) on Vessel Performance Monitoring. The WG is to investigate whether there could be a model for performance monitoring which is acceptable to both tanker operators, charterers and regulators. ISO 19030 inspires the WG to make such a search. The idea is to discuss whether it is possible to expand the concept of ISO 19030 beyond hull and propeller efficiency. The model must be an easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement tool.