---

Dutch firm Amarcon BV has confirmed that it will be supplying its Octopus-Onboard fuel monitoring systems to 12 handysize bulk carriers to be built by YangZhou GuoYu Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The ships are scheduled to be delivered to Singapore-based Pioneer Marine Inc. in 2015 and 2016.

Octopus-Onboard is a motion monitoring and decision support system for ships. It is designed to be used for route planning and the optimization of speed and fuel consumption in every weather condition. The system is said to be compliant with the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), which was implemented in 2013 and obligates all vessels to have an SEEMP onboard.

The Octopus-Onboard fuel monitoring set-up consists of Coriolis flow sensors, a Torductor torque measurement system and a software solution. It combines wave measurements, weather forecasts, and navigation data such as speed, course, revolutions per minute (RPM) and the voyage plan, with ship characteristics, loading conditions, and motion sensor measurements. This is designed to facilitate continuous monitoring as well as simulation and forecasting of the ship responses and performance.

By sending the sensor-measured data to the software, the Octopus-Onboard system makes fuel consumption indicators available to the vessel crew and the onshore operations department. As a result, the system supports the crew in decision making and enables them to optimize the fuel efficiency of the vessel.

The 12 newbuild vessels due to use Amarcon's fuel monitoring system are of Green Dolphin design - a concept design which was created to reduce fuel consumption and to meet air and water emissions regulations.

Pankaj Khanna, President and CEO of Singapore-based Pioneer Marine, suggested Amarcon's efficiency monitoring system would complement the Green Dolphin ship design, saying: "The Octopus-Onboard advisory system compliments the Green Dolphin newbuild design and introduces a new dimension to ensuring optimal fuel efficiency. Accurate advice based on the sensor-measured information enables the crew to operate the vessel in the most fuel efficient manner, thus reducing our carbon footprint."

Heikki Soljama, Managing Director of ABB's Marine and Ports business, said that Amarcon's technology could help meet the twin challenges of reducing fuel costs and tackling environmental concerns.

"Fuel consumption is the highest operational expenditure for each and every vessel of the global fleet, and one of the biggest environmental concerns. Our Octopus-Onboard system helps ship operators to efficiently optimize the fuel consumption of their fleet while they also reduce their emissions."

Amarcon has been a fully owned subsidiary of the ABB group since it was acquired in August 2012. The company provides monitoring and performance software for the shipping industry and specializes in vessel motion prediction systems.