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10/11/2015

HFT enters Global Shipping market with renowned German company LEMAG GmbH

Stena goes green by taking advantage of LEMAG’s SLASHPOL-E WIF homogenisers to reduce NOx emissions, particulate matter, smoke, and most of all fuel consumption.

Since fitting the first LEMAG SLASHPOL E-WIF FQI (fuel quality improver) homogeniser on the Stena Carrier over five years ago, Stena has fitted a total of sixteen of their vessels with LEMAG WIF homogenisers in order to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Feedback from a number of the Stena vessels has confirmed that as well as the noticeable reduction in fuel consumption; there is a very obvious and significant reduction in black smoke during start-up and manoeuvring, as well as at full load. It was noted on the vessels that operate with SCR NOx reduction systems that as the exhaust temperature was reduced by more than 10°C the WIF allowed the chief engineer to fine tune the system, which resulted in a reduction in the consumption of urea.

Although ship owners and operators are enjoying the current respite from the previously high worldwide fuel cost, it is generally expected that they will eventually rise significantly again next year, and with increasing pressure to reduce emissions, it is vital to continue to maximize fuel usage.

WIF (water in fuel) homogenisers have been around for a long time, but like a lot of existing marine technology it has received a lot of renewed interest in the last few years, which has resulted in increased investment in R&D. This is due not only to the soaring fuel costs up to 2015 and the need to reduce emissions, but the knowledge within the marine industry that the WIF technology has advanced to the point where it is now a very viable investment for ship owners and operators.

The complete LEMAG SLASHPOL E-WIF system comprises of torsion meters, Coriolis or PD fuel meters, and it’s V-Per monitoring and management system, as well as incorporating an impressive range of safety devices which are absolutely essential to give total confidence to the operators, in what is virtually a plug and play installation. The planning and actual installation of the systems is carried out by LEMAG’s own technicians to ensure that the system operates safely and efficiently, and depending on the vessel, can be carried out almost entirely in service with minimal disruption to the vessels operation.

One of the main challenges in the past with all WIF manufacturers has been maintaining the stability of the water and fuel emulsion. LEMAG has overcome this by working closely with marine fuel additive supplier HFT (Hybrid Fuel Technology) to produce specifically formulated stabilisers for the whole range of fuels available on the market today. The combination of LEMAG SLASHPOL E-WIF and the HFT stabiliser results in significantly increased fuel economy, while reducing the NOx, black smoke and particulate matter, and CO2 emissions.

Thomas Porep, owner and Managing Director of LEMAG said, "We have had a long working relationship with Stena and we have achieved a lot in the last five years, not only by reducing their emissions on sixteen vessels, but also reducing their fuel consumption. I expect this partnership to continue and hopefully grow.”

About LEMAG Lehmann & Michels GmbH

LEMAG Lehmann & Michels GmbH is one of the leading companies pioneering the latest generation of WIF technology. Established in 1911 in Hamburg Germany, the present owner Thomas Porep joined the company in 1972, finally taking over the reins in 1993. LEMAG continues to pioneer and provide fuel optimisation and monitoring equipment for marine, offshore and land based installations worldwide and has secured more than 30 worldwide patents. With LEMAG’s V-Per vessel management module they offer a complete and comprehensive fuel and emissions management system.

For more information visit www.lemag.de