Effect of Ice Class to Vessel Fuel Consumption Based on Real-Life Mrv Data

Ice classed ships have specially designed, reinforced hulls and large engines, which may influence open-water fuel efficiency. Ice classification typically requires minimum engine power limit, possibly leading to an over-sized engine for open water operation. Most of the existing studies of energy efficiency of ice classed ships often assume that these vessels consume more fuel also in open water conditions than conventional ships. In this work we analysed the EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verification database to understand the difference of fuel consumption between ice classed ships and those used only in open water conditions. Our analysis indicates that the assumption of increased fuel consumption of ice classed ships is not applicable to all ship types. According to the Automatic Identification System data, about 65% of vessels with ice class did not sail in ice covered areas during 2018-2021. These findings question the relevance of relief mechanisms of emission trading systems granted for ice classed vessels