Tolani Shipping selects MARIS VDS for fuel-saving initiative

Press Release 9 th November 2011
Tolani Shipping selects MARIS VDS for fuel-saving initiative
Tolani Shipping’s Singapore arm, Tolani Shipping (S) Pte Ltd, has opted to use the Voyage Decision Support
system developed by Maritime Information Systems AS, Norway (MARIS) as part of its major initiative to
adapt green technology to its fleet of owned and operated vessels.
Tolani Shipping owns a fleet of bulk carriers ranging in size from 50,000dwt to 84,000dwt with an average
age of five years. With its origins in India, Tolani Shipping established a presence in Singapore in 2003 and
operates vessels under both the Indian and Singaporean flags.
The MARIS VDS System is an electronic tool based on the MARIS Electronic Chart Display System (ECDIS),
designed to plan and execute voyages in a safe manner with optimal fuel and time consumption and also
document and analyse the results.
“We are looking to provide our charterers with the option of using the system to minimise the carbon
footprint and reduce the impact on the environment and save on fuel,” said Rohet Tolani , Managing
Director of Tolani Shipping (S). “Tolani Shipping’s target is to reduce fuel consumption by an annual
average of 3% per vessel and, on specific longer voyages, by 5% per vessel.”
Capt Mikkjal Poulsen, General Manager, Tolani Shipping (S) added: “The plan initially is to implement the
VDS system on five Singapore flag vessels in support of the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority’s green
initiatives. Each vessel will be able to reduce its environmental impact through reduced emissions due to
lower levels of fuel consumption, made possible by the system providing real-time guidance for optimal
route planning to the Master, using technology, data and methodology which is superior to that used by
traditional weather routeing services.
“The integration of this routeing with the ECDIS system will also lead to safer navigation overall. It should
certainly establish a new role model for superior standards within the industry.”
Tolani Shipping (S) Pte Ltd uses low sulphur marine gas oil as standard on vessels that do not have
designated tanks for both high sulphur and low sulphur.
“A reduction in the impact on the environment and the fuel saving potential of the VDS System has already
been tested, proven and documented by major oil companies, but it has potential uses for other types of
vessels such as bulk carriers,” said Bhupesh Gandhi, Director of Asia Pacific, MARIS.
“The project with Tolani Shipping will highlight the unique advantage of VDS being based on an ECDIS
System at the forefront of strategy as owners pursue measures to cut costs in this uncertain economic
environment,” he added.
The MARIS VDS System comprises a separate VDS computer which is also a fully functional ECDIS. It
operates in a LAN with the two regular ECDIS installations required for approved ECDIS navigation. The
reason for choosing a total of three is that the VDS will have a second important function as a spare ECDIS.
Approved ECDIS navigation will require two functional ECDIS installations at any time, meaning, for
instance, that vessels may be refused clearance for leaving port if one has failed and not been repaired, in
exactly the same way as for radar.
All three ECDIS installations receive required navigational information from the MARIS Digital Server.
[ENDS]

For further information, please contact:
Steinar Gundersen, Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate) MARIS AS, Tel: +47 97472000, email:
steinar.gundersen@MARIS.no; or Bhupesh Gandhi, Director Asia Pacific, MARIS Asia, Singapore, Tel: +65
62762472 - bhupesh@MARIS.no
Rohet N.Tolani, Managing Director, Tolani Shipping (Singapore) Pte. Ltd, Tel: +65 6720 6721, email:
rnt@tolani-shipping.com
Note for Editors: About MARIS
MARIS is a limited company with its head office in Tønsberg, Norway, a recognised centre for maritime
information technology. The company has delivered thousands of navigation systems to customers worldwide.
The majority owner is the Grieg Group (www.grieg.com)
The Grieg Group has a long and proud maritime tradition. Today, the Group operates globally within
a variety of business areas; shipping, global logistic services, shipbroking, maritime information systems,
investment consulting and fish farming. The Grieg Group has about 1700 employees.
The roots of MARIS go back to the start of the maritime information technology explosion in the mid 1960s.
MARIS is a system house with world-class experience in on-board systems. Innovative engineering has
added several ´world firsts´ to its list of milestones. Among them our ´Wheelmark´ certified ECDIS and PC
Radar/ARPA, IEC 60945 certified Flat Panel Computer and S-VDR/ECDIS COMBO. MARIS is working with
the UKHO to develop The Admiralty e-Navigator.