Fueltrax fuel management systems are typically installed by operators of oceangoing vessels looking to cut costs and reduce emissions. Now, says the Houston-headquartered company, vessels that primarily operate on inland and near-coastal waterways are also seeing the benefits of the technology,.
The Fueltrax EFMS (electronic fuel management system) is a state-of-the-art solution designed and supported by former NASA engineers. The system is closed-loop, tamper-proof, alarm-protected and measures direct fuel consumption via an array of sensors connected to highly accurate mass flow meters.
One U.S. charterer and owner that has outfitted half a dozen of its vessels with the Fueltrax EFMS is Holcim, which is using the EFMS in key vessels operating on the Great Lakes and East Coast to increase operational visibility onboard the vessels, automate consumption and emissions reporting across the fleet, and reduce their environmental impact.
“We have been using the Fueltrax EFMS to effectively track and monitor vessels in real time,” said Chuck Hriczak, operations manager at Holcim US. “The system’s throttle optimization features have yielded significant cost savings annually and have simultaneously reduced carbon emissions across the fleet.”
“Inland and near-coastal waterway vessels face significant incentives to lower fuel consumption and emissions,” says John Donovan, Fueltrax’s vice president of operations. “The vessel owners are challenged by increasing operating costs and growing pressure from charterers and environmental groups to enhance efficiency. Fortunately, the Fueltrax EFMS system is available to address this need today.”