Second International Symposium on Fishing Vessel Energy Efficiency E-Fishing, Vigo, Spain, May 2012
Energy audits of fishing vessels: lessons learned and the way forward Oihane C. Basurko, Gorka Gabiña, Zigor Uriondo Marine Research Division, AZTI-Tecnalia, Sukarrieta, Spain.
Abstract—Commercial fishing activities are strongly fueldependent. Consequently, the dramatic increase in the price of diesel fuel has impacted negatively on the economic incomes of fishing. Moreover, the overexploitation of north-Atlantic fisheries, over many decades, has caused international regulatory bodies to establish more restrictive catch quotas, on certain commercial fisheries. Both the fuel dependency and the restrictive catch limitation have brought the Basque commercial fishing industry to its ‘survival limit’. To examine the situation, an energy audit methodology for fishing vessels has been developed, with two objectives: a) to make shipowners aware of the way fuel is consumed in their activities; b) help shipowners to reduce their fuel bill. This contribution provides an overview of the methodology, together with the steps undertaken for energy audits. Three fishing vessels (a stern trawler, a live bait purse seiner, and a troller have been studied, for developing this methodology. The methodology uses a combination of commercial tools, such as ‘GESTOIL’ (an onboard fuel consumption management system) to collect and assess data. The energy audit has served to highlight the areas of major consumption and potential savings; it provides also a list of recommendations to shipowners, for changes in the operational patterns of a ship. Likewise, structural changes to increase the fuel efficiency of a vessel. In order to improve the efficiency of future energy audits, the experience gained and the difficulties undergone are presented. Keywords: Energy audits, fishing vessels, energy consumption, best practice, experience learned.
I.
INTRODUCTION
Traditional fishing has been the economic driver for many coastal communities in the Basque Country. The increase in the fuel price, the stock decline, occupational risks of fishing, together with the possibilities of establishing a different future for newer generations, are some of the reasons that have made fishing arrive to its survival limits, in many parts of Europe. Fishing gears have evolved throughout recorded history; ships, nowadays, are more technological than ever before. Examples are the mechanisation of gear handling, improved
performances of vessels and motorization, computer processing for gear design, navigation aids, and fish detection technologies [1]. Shipowners have invested greatly in updating their ships with new technology; this has helped to fish more efficiently and increase the comfort and safety onboard. Despite fishing more efficiently, more technology usually implies a major fueldependency. This pattern has evolved in the fishing sector to account for about 1.2% of the global oil consumption; which entails approximately 134 million tonnes of CO2 emission into the atmosphere [2]. Whilst no mention has been made in policy or international agreements, such as in the Kyoto protocol, with regards to Greenhouse Gas emission from fishing, the quantities consumed and emitted by the sector are considerable. This conclusion may make policy-makers consider fishing in their future policies, as one of the strategies to combat atmospheric pollution. The fishing sector needs to cope with all of these challenges, present a solid behaviour and become proactive in response to the rise in the fuel price. This objective requires good energy management, including monitoring the engines and the energy consumption, redesigning ships, and reinvention of the way fuel is consumed onboard [3]. However presently, the bunker purchased is usually the only registry a fishing vessel maintains of their fuel consumption. Therefore, energy audits may play an important role in this approach, since they can detail how energy is consumed within a vessel. Likewise, an audit may highlight the areas of major consumption and potential savings, including structural changes and operational practices. Research and experiences are growing within the published literature in this regard [4-10]. Nonetheless, more work is required since few have implemented energy efficient measures onboard. The present contribution provides: the main results of an energy audit of three vessels (stern trawler, purse seiner, and a troller); likewise, the methodology developed in