An award for the human factor behind energy saving

After the success of the first edition, which contributed to involving crews ever more actively in the ambitious challenge of reducing fuel consumption, the winners of the 2023 Low Consumption Award were revealed in late June, after being selected among the Masters and Chief Engineers who were embarked on Grimaldi Euromed and Grimaldi Deep Sea ro-ro, ro-pax, PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) and con-ro ships for at least seven cumulative months during the year.

Their ability to steer a vessel and operate its systems (batteries, auxiliary engines, etc.) was assessed for the competition. In addition to fuel consumption – to which the most weight is attributed – electrical load in port, navigation mode, departure delay, miles travelled and speed were also considered when calculating the performance index.

The 2023 energy-saving champions were Captains Sebastiano Amato, for his excellent performance on the con-ro vessel Grande Togo, Aniello Attianese, for his six-month period on board the ro-pax ferry Cruise Ausonia, Michele Di Candia, who was in command of the ro-ro ships Eco Valencia (for 3 months) and Eco Italia (for almost 4 months) during the year, and Antonio Riolo, for his valuable service on the PCTC Grande California. All of them managed to improve speed and trim, reduce manoeuvring times and optimize use of the shaft alternator during navigation without resorting to use of the auxiliary diesel generators.

Standing out among the Chief Engineers were Carlos Silva on the con-ro ship Grande Congo, Aurelio D'Addario on the ro-pax ferry Venezia, Rogelio Agcaoili on the ro-ro vessels Eco Livorno and Eco Valencia, and Ryan Tapang on the PCTC Grande Baltimora. Thanks to an attentive energy-saving policy, they were able to significantly reduce the electrical load and, in turn, diesel consumption in all phases of navigation and mooring.

However, the winners were not alone in contributing to making Grimaldi Euromed’s and Grimaldi Deep Sea’s maritime connections increasingly efficient: overall, the ranking showed the commitment of all the companies’ Masters, Chief Engineers and crews, as well as a general improvement in fuel consumption performance. In fact, all the Masters improved their performance indexes compared to 2022, with a significant 5% increase in average score. The performance data of the "Eco" hybrid ro-ro ships were also particularly encouraging again in 2023, with zero-emission port stopovers lasting up to over 10 hours thanks to the use solely of their battery systems, without starting up their diesel generators.