Marielundvej 41
DK-2730 Herlev
Maritime
Scandlines: 30% less dry docking
can save € 100-200,000/year
Scandlines aim to reduce unplanned off-hire for their passenger and car ferries with up to 30 % and reduce docking costs with up to EUR 100-200,000/year by being able to predict unscheduled overhauls well in advance and by extending overhaul intervals. The way to achieve these goals is to use predictive maintenance information from online condition monitoring of the ferries’ advanced thrusters. Online measurement data also help the crew optimize vessel operations to ensure minimum stress on critical thruster components.
“Our key objective is to reduce the risk of having to take a ferry out of operation unscheduled,” says Chief Superintendent Lars Jordt, Scandlines.
“Our ferries operate 24/7. Especially during the peak season from June to September maximum ferry availability is crucial. It is not acceptable if a ferry is out of service and passengers have to wait.”
Predictive information to eliminate unscheduled overhauls
In addition to the scheduled biannual yard overhauls, we have in average had one ferry in dock for 2-4 days every year for unscheduled yard repair of thruster components. If nearby docks are fully booked, which is often the case, emergency repairs mean even longer time out of service. Avoiding unplanned overhauls will reduce each ferry’s average time out of service with up to 30%.
“We want to avoid the unscheduled dry dock overhauls, which cost us EUR 100-200,000/year plus repair costs,” Mr. Jordt emphasizes. “We are therefore pleased that we together with Rovsing Dynamics and Rolls Royce have found a way to monitor the thruster condition. The new online monitoring solution gives us insight into the actual condition of the thrusters. It provides upfront knowledge about developing problems in the form of early warnings and thus possibility to inspect and plan any repairs at an early development stage, and to make the necessary repairs when it is least inconvenient. Thereby, we minimize the risk of damage and repair in between the planned overhauls.”
The first online thruster monitoring solution was installed by Rovsing Dynamics on the ferry Prinsesse Benedikte, sailing between Germany and Denmark.
Scandlines GmbH is one of Europe’s largest ferry companies, operating 16 ferries on 8 routes between 10 ports in the Baltic Sea. The company transports more then 18 million passengers, 3.7 million cars, 1.1 million trucks and trailers, 85,000 railway waggons and 75,000 coaches every year. www.scandlines.com
