While outside air in the middle of the ocean is certainly fresh, commercial seafarers don’t spend all their time on deck. In fact, for most roles onboard, the majority of the day is spent indoors. Deck officers and crew spend about half their day on deck, but catering crews, engine room workers and more spend most of their time in enclosed spaces.

The first and most important effect of cleaner air is on human health, but air purification also has excellent side benefits: energy efficiency, and by extension, cost efficiency. Maritime vessels consume vast quantities of fuel, but cleaner air supports more energy-efficient operations, which can save operators millions in annual running costs.

An air purification solution from VIKAND, profiled earlier this year in the ASHRAE Journal, is noted for its remarkable ability to combat indoor air pollutants and pathogens while improving efficiency. It does this by reducing strain on a ship’s HVAC system, which saves energy, lowers operating costs and improves sustainability.

An Air Purification Solution from VIKAND

Powered by Pyure’s patented and FDA-registered technology, VIKAND’s air purification solution is designed to continuously and proactively scrub airborne and surface contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, odours, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This translates directly into fewer illnesses spreading around the ship and hurting crew productivity.

However, the benefits of this technology go far beyond human health. Clean air reduces the presence of mould, fungus and spores, helping to reduce their buildup in the HVAC system, especially the air intake, fan coils, ductwork, and other hidden areas. A cleaner HVAC is cheaper to run and, as we’ll discuss in greater detail below, heating and cooling are among the most resource-intensive systems on any ship.

How HVAC Systems Impact Energy Consumption

The HVAC system on an average vessel consumes 20-50% of the ship’s fuel energy – a percentage that increases as the vessel size decreases. For example, on high-capacity passenger vessels, like cruise ships, the HVAC load trends lower because other systems, such as propulsion, consume a greater share of the ship’s fuel.

The high demand for HVAC energy stems from the need to cool or heat large quantities of outdoor air in order to bring interior cabin temperatures to their desired point, most commonly 22°C. Utilising interior cabin air recirculation is a proven means of decreasing HVAC load and associated fuel consumption, but recirculated air must be purified.

How Air Purification Enhances Energy-Efficiency

Through photochemical processes, VIKAND’s air purification solution cleans recirculated air, reducing contaminants to near zero. Purifying recirculated air that is already at, or near, the desired temperature is far more energy-efficient than continuously heating or cooling ambient air drawn from outside.

An air purification solution allows the vessel to increase its share of recirculated cabin air to the maximums permitted by the CDC and ASHRAE. These regulatory agencies call for a minimum of 25m³/hour of outdoor air per passenger aboard. However, through advanced purification, a vessel can now maintain clean interior air even at the highest levels of recirculation.

The Real-World Impact on Energy Use and Costs

Let’s take a large cruise ship as an example. First, assume we are recirculating 30% of the air onboard and that our HVAC plant consumes 20% of the vessel’s total energy in sailing conditions. Increasing our recirculated air from 30% to 50% reduces the energy consumed by HVAC compressors by 7.81%, with direct correlation to engine load.

If we put this in the context of a 14,400 kw/hr reciprocating diesel electric generator running at 80% of total load (underway sailing conditions), then reducing the engine load by just 1.6% will reduce our fuel consumption by approximately 6.4 tons per day – or 2,336 tons per year of heavy fuel oil (HFO).

While ship fuel prices have fallen since peaking at the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict​, energy costs remain high. The current price of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) is approximately $595 per metric ton and $522 for High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO), based on current pricing averages from the top 20 refuelling ports worldwide.

At these rates, our example ship would save somewhere in the range of $1.25-1.42 million a year in fuel costs alone. This amount is many multiples greater than the cost of installing an air purification system. In terms of onboard investments with a strong return, it ranks among the best performers.

Learn More Today by Contacting VIKAND

Onboard air purification is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve a ship’s energy efficiency and significantly reduce fuel consumption. It also supports a healthier environment with fewer illnesses and improved productivity.

Should you require further information on how VIKAND’s air purification solution can protect against mould, virus, bacteria, odours and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) while also contributing to significant cost savings, please visit our website today and connect with a member of our team.