What is Ship Energy Efficiency

Management Plan?
With the growing concerns over increasing greenhouse gases and consumption of
fossil fuels, the maritime industry governing body IMO has already taken positive
steps by implementing the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which monitors
the amount of CO2 and harmful emissions from ships.

The idea of Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) is to improve the hull design and
machinery operations and to reduce the CO2 emissions by increasing the ship’s
overall efficiency.

However, the SEEM plan needs to be developed and implemented by the shipowner
to potentially reduce the operational cost of the ship which will eventually help in
reducing the overall fuel consumption, including emissions and losses in the longer
run.

What is SEEMP?
As the new concept of EEDI has been introduced for newly built ships, IMO has
developed and structured a special tool called the Ship Energy Efficiency
Management Plan to measure and control GHG emissions from the already existing
shipping fleet.

The Ship energy efficiency Management Plan provides a practical approach for ship
operators and ship management companies to manage operations and fleet
efficiency performance over time using the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator
(EEOI) as a monitoring tool.

The Ship Energy efficiency management plan to improve the efficiency of the ship
can be implemented in various ways such as by optimizing the speed of the vessel,
making a course change to tackle rough weather, hull cleaning in dry dock,
installing heat recovery methods etc. All these methods help in increasing the ship’s
efficiency and optimizing the ship operation.

The SEEMP is a plan which is ship specific and has to be implemented according to
the ship type, cargoes carried, ship routes, and other relevant factors. Hence,
SEEMP cannot be implemented on a company or fleet level.

Even two sister ships will need to have a separate Ship Energy Efficiency
Management plan as they will be operating in different conditions.
The basics of creating the SEEMP for a particular ship is to estimate and determine
the current energy consumption of the vessel and implement various measure to
reduce the same.
Key Features of Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan

 Broader Corporate energy management policy

As said earlier, SEEMP needs to be implemented on an individual ship level.

However, a company operating multiple ships must have a more comprehensive
energy management policy for all ships in its fleet, which will act as a base to form
the SEEMP for an individual type of ship

 Enhancement of ship efficiency

The primary objective of the SEEMP is to improve the overall operating efficiency of
the ship on a long run by implementing correct and optimized methods for energy
and fuel saving

 Reduction in fuel consumption

Any ship operator will be happy to save more cost on the marine oil used as ship
fuel. A critical function of the SEEMP is to implement methods which can reduce the
overall fuel consumption of the ship as it leads to a reduction in air pollution and fuel
cost, which is one of the significant operating cost of the vessel.

 A decrease in GHG emission from the ship

SEEMP do emphasis on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships by

providing methods for reducing the fuel consumption and using alternative fuel which
causes less GHG emissions.

How to implement SEEMP? 

SEEMP is ship specific plan which can be efficiently implemented on vessels in 4
steps:

1. Planning

Before implementation of any method, there has to be “planning” of how the process
should be implemented. Planning is the most critical step for implementation of
SEEMP; it essentially defines the current status of the energy used by the ship and
how the current energy consumption can be reduced further, by creating and
implementing an effective plan. The shipping management company has to compile
the energy consumption of the ship by different forms such as the use of fuel,
machinery installed, the efficiency of the machinery and systems, condition of the
ship’s hull and paint, last dry-dock record etc. Once the data has been collected, the
Broader Corporate energy management policy of the company is taken as base to
draw the SEEMP for the ship.

2. Implementation

Once the planning for SEEMP is in place, the next important step is to identify
different ways of implementing the measures which were selected during the
planning. The Ship Energy Efficiency Management plant will consist of
implementation methods and roles/ responsibility of the stakeholders involved
(Company representative, Ship operator, Seafarers etc.).
Again, the implementation system has to be drawn during the planning stage to
ensure smooth execution of SEEMP on the ship at the earliest.

The company’s corporate energy management policy can come very handy if the
implementation methods are specified in the same. This set method of
implementation can be used during establishing SEEMP on an individual ship.
Record keeping should be a part of all the stages post-planning stage as the records
were taken during the implementation stage can be used for the later stage of self-
evaluation, which will help in improvising the plan.

3. Monitoring

Once the SEEMP is implemented on a ship, the monitoring of the plan will come into
action, which will observe the effectiveness of the implemented SEEMP. There are
pre-determined approved methods of international standards available to monitor the
performance of SEEMP such as EEOI (as per the Guidelines developed by the IMO
– MEPC.1/Circ.684).
EEOI is Energy Efficiency operational indicator which can be determined by the fuel
consumption of the ship in a particular voyage carrying a certain amount of cargo.

To calculate the EEOI, the following data is needed:

fuel type,mass of fuel consumed during the voyage,mass of cargo carried in tonnes
nautical miles distance for the cargo carried,mass of the fuel to CO2 mass
conversion factor of the fuel.

Other methods for measurement and monitoring can also be used if the company
seems it is useful.

In the planning stage, the monitoring method can be stated and how to use the
method can also be established making it easier for the user (seafarers and
operators) to implement the system and to know his/her responsibility within the
system.
4. Self-evaluation and improvement

The result of Monitoring stages needs to be evaluated to understand the

effectiveness of the SEEMP which will be done at the last stage. This stage highly
depends on the constructive feedback which can be assessed to improvise the plan
if needed, and the same is used to enhance the planning, implementation and
monitoring stages.  These four stages work in a cycle and are interdependent for the
evaluation and evolution of the complete SEEMP. It is the responsibility of the ship
operator to ensure the feedbacks, results, and reports that came from different
stages of the SEEMP cycle are tracked and assessed and the output from them is
used to improvise the plan.

PLANNING------IMPLEMENTATION-------MONITORING--------- EVALUATION
& IMPROVEMENT

The other focused area of SEEMP is to reduce GHG emissions while increasing
operational efficiency of the ship, resulting in less fuel consumption. Following steps
are taken to achieve efficient operation of the vessel under SEEMP:

• Speed optimization:

The speed of the ship determines the amount of fuel the main engine will use to
propel the ship. An optimized speed is a speed at which the fuel consumption
decreases without hampering the ETA to the next port. Slow steaming has been a
proven strategy to reduce the fuel consumption of the ship saving hundreds of
dollars in fuel cost to the owner. However, there are other problems associated with
slow steaming, hence optimum speed Is determined by keeping all the factors in
mind.

Charter Party do play an important role as there agreements will allow ship operator
to run the ship at optimized speed to achieve greater energy efficiency from the
ship’s machinery.

• Weather routing

It is fascinating how ship tackles big storms out at sea. There have been no
significant accidents lately of ship damages or sinking due to storms and rough
weather as nowadays weather routing use advanced technology to predict the
upcoming weather and to alter the course of the ship.

This technology is very useful and helps in the energy efficiency of the ship as rough
weather can slow down a ship and the engine needs to put more power to propel
against the tide or wind, leading to more fuel consumption. With weather routing, an
altered course can solve this problem, making it safer for the ship’s crew and cargo
and also saving fuel and increasing the energy efficiency of the ship.
• Hull monitoring and maintenance

Hull roughness of the ship is inversely proportional to the speed of the ship. This
means that the engine of the ship has to work more to achieve the desired speed if
the hull is rough.
The hull roughness of the ship is analysed at regular intervals for cleaning and
painting of the surface. A better and advanced system such as MGPS can reduce
the marine growth on the hull and improve the overall energy efficiency of the ship

• Efficient cargo operation

The cargo operation at the port is a teamwork between the ship, port, agents and
other parties involved (PSC, coast guard etc.). Good and clear communication
between them will ensure smoother cargo operation, leading to less time in port. This
will help the ship to maintain the ETA for the other ports otherwise the ship has to
sail at a higher speed for the next call which will lead to additional fuel consumption,

• Electric power management

The ship’s electrical power plant generates enough energy to ensure all the

propulsion, cargo, and other auxiliary equipment can be operational at any given
time. The use of a generator at low load, use of multiple pumps etc., will lead to more
fuel and electrical consumption, affecting the energy efficiency. The seafarers need
to be trained on how to use ship’s machinery effectively so that the power
consumption will be at an optimum level.

Role of Seafarers in SEEMP:

Seafarers play a crucial role in implementing the SEEMP onboard ship and also in
providing the feedback, reports, performance etc. to the shore office which is further
used to enhance the plan.

Following are some of the essential roles which a seafarer plays in SEEMP:

• Implementing the procedure as laid down in the SEEMP

• Monitoring the performance of the SEEMP procedures and how it is affecting the
ship operation
• Collecting reports, and sending the logs, performance etc. to the company for
evaluation
• Establishing a safety and sustainability culture onboard ship to add to the energy
efficiency of the ship
• Efficiently managing the cargo operation when in port and maintaining the ship’s
machinery to avoid breakdown and delays to the shipping schedule
• Implementing correct and modern navigation technique for the optimized voyage
planning
SEEMP is not a set rule of operations and it has to evolve in terms of providing
better energy saving solutions than the previous ones. The improvisation of SEEMP
highly depends on the different parties involved in the shipping operation such as
Port operator, Ship owners, shipyard, ship managers, seafarers etc

Below are a few steps that the seafarers can take to

to reduce their carbon footprints
1. Speed and Route Planning Optimization
Speed selection and Optimized route planning 

The need to follow weather routing, well identified speed optimization measures and
voyages that would lessen the ecological impact should be encompassed.

2. Use Proper Auto-Pilot Settings

Use optimized Auto-Pilot settings for minimal fuel burn out.

3. Allow Adequate Trim to Minimize Resistance

Keep minimum resistance while on a voyage by allowing adequate trim.

4. Ensure Efficiency Stability and Steering

For stability and steering, ballast water management and effective cargo
planning should be considered to meet the requirements for efficient ship handling.

5. Carefully Monitor the Propeller Slip and Hull Condition

Excessive Sea growth on the hull which results in excessive fuel burn should be
prevented as much as possible by regularizing the dry-docking periods, liberal
application of paints that are proven to be ecologically safe, and other anti-fouling
technologies.

6. Optimization of Ship Generators

 Maximize D/G load whenever safe and possible to do so
 Switch off / Stop all non-essential machineries and equipment while at port or
when at sea to reduce the load on the generators
 Keep a check on unnecessary usage of compressed air on deck and engine
room. This will avoid continuous running of the air compressors
 Make sure the IG Plant is shut down as soon as the operations are over.
 Identify and reduce the use of heavy electrical consumers
 Use the cargo and provision cranes judiciously
  Deck and navigation lighting should be made available as and when required,
avoid pointless usage
 Use the principle of gravity for ballasting / de-ballasting operations where
feasible

7. Optimization of the Machinery 

 Shut down AC Plant when the weather is conducive and blower operation will
suffice
 Monitor Main Engine and Auxiliary Engine lubrication and optimize lube oil
usage
 Maintain draining of fuel tanks – such as pure oil is recycled and water
drained. Check other important drains as well
 Monitor the Purifier operation to efficiency and prevent seal breakage

8. Boiler and Steam load

 Monitor steam leakages from plants.  Check steam traps regularly. Check of
steam hammering
 Check oxygen analyzer and the piping system for any failures prior to critical
operations
 Ensure that all the steam and oil lines are in operational condition
 Regulate use of hot water calorifier between steam and electrical heating
 Use composite boiler at every applicable occasion including cargo heating
 As far as practical run one boiler up to 80% load before putting second boiler
on load.
 Shut down Auxiliary boiler if they are not needed for a practical amount of time
 Open up steam for mooring winches only when required
 Ensure efficient use of heat recovery systems of ships

9. Exhaust Gas Economizer (EGE)
 To improve the energy efficiency of the exhaust gas boiler, the frequency of
soot blowing and blow down should be increased
 Keep the composite boiler exhaust side clean. This will in turn keep the tube
surfaces dirt-free
 Schedule water washing to be as regularly as practicable for the EGE (Exhaust
Gas Economizer) (Check important points for boiler cleaning)
 Proper recordings for pressure drop and temperature differences should be
done. This will provide as an indication for EGE cleanliness

10. Windlass and Mooring Winches

 Post all mooring and anchoring operations, switch off power for winches and
windlasses
 Do not keep Hydraulic motors running unnecessarily
  Check for leakages in the hydraulic lines and eliminate them to ensure proper
and efficient functioning of the equipment and the machinery
 In port, run the winches only when required

11. In Port and at Anchorage Operations

 Blowers for pump room and other such spaces should be stopped when not
required
 Pumps such as ballast pumps, fire pumps should not be run unnecessarily
 After finishing with the main engine – switch off lube oil pump, cam shaft pump,
etc.

12. Cargo Loading and Unloading Operations

 During the cargo discharging operations, maintain better co-ordination and
planning with the terminal personnel such as the loading masters, terminal
representatives, etc. and also with the deck and engine personnel on
board. Safe cargo operations will in turn reduce the idle firing period of the
main boilers, reduce unnecessary and prolonged cargo pump warming up
period, idle running of the IG plant, etc.
 Maintain optimum Inert Gas pressures throughout the cargo operations
 Maintain trim and stability in order to prevent pointless load on the machinery
 The use of the Ballast educators to be optimized
 Switch off power for the cargo cranes when not required

13. Lighting on board

 Use the lighting system on board effectively. Exercise due care to avoid
creation of additional safety and security hazards when turning off the electrical
services
 Switch off all the internal lights for areas such as cabins, recreation rooms,
mess rooms, common spaces, etc. when not required
 It is advised to use halogen or sodium vapor lamps for lighting purposes
 Make efficient use of the ship’s AC by closing all doors, blinding off ship
portholes during day, etc.

14. Conserve Energy in Galley

While working in Galley, make sure the hotplate is used in a controlled and regulated
manner such that the hot plates are not kept switched ON after actual use.

15. Efficient Use of Ship’s Laundry

Ship’s laundry should be used appropriately such that the output is more and energy
used is less. Use appropriate settings on the washing machines and dryers that are
suitable for the kind of clothes to be washed and dried.
16. Save Paper
Conserve the use of paper and its products on board. Minimize to eco – printing
techniques.

17. Repair Leakage 

Repair leaking fresh water taps and pipelines that are used for domestic
consumption.

18.Optimize Cargo and Bunker Tank Heating

 
Cargo and Bunker Tank Heating should be optimized by monitoring the temperature
and consumption patterns of the tanks. Also periodic inspection should be
undertaken of the fittings such as sounding pipes and bunker tank vents for leakages
and cracks so as to prevent contamination and thereby damaging the environment.

19. Regular Transfer of Slops and Oily Residues Ashore

Transfer of slops and oily residues ashore should be carried out at regular intervals
to prevent residue build up and also reduce the use of diesel burnt for operating the
incinerators. Remember to minimize the water in sludge by settling and thereby
draining prior slop transfer or incineration.

20. Efficient Handling of Engine Room and Deck Machinery

Efficient handling of engine room and deck machinery is extremely important to
prevent unnecessary wastage of energy. Seafarers must know the right starting and
stopping procedures of all machinery on ships in order to reduce break down and
improve the overall efficiency of the ship.

Two important guides to learn starting and stopping procedures of all important
machinery systems of ships:

Of course there is a lot more seafarers can do to reduce the damaging effects of
pollution on marine environment and reduce their carbon footprint. Though the above
mentioned list is not an exhaustive one, taking such small initiatives in daily routine
work on ships can help a great deal in saving a lot of energy and reducing carbon
emissions