Barge transport is well known for being the king of fuel efficiency in the world of cargo transportation, boasting a significantly smaller carbon footprint than truck or rail transport. Yet, rising fuel prices can still affect this and nearly every other industry. In order to keep boat fuel costs reasonably low, it is helpful to understand the factors that contribute to boat fuel use to paint an overall picture of how much fuel is needed to keep barges moving.
Factors Affecting How Much Fuel a Boat Uses During Towing
There is no one-size-fits-all number for the amount of fuel used in a barge tow; rather, there are a number of factors that can affect fuel mileage. Even when some of these factors are consistent, others can change throughout a single trip, contributing to an overall dynamic fuel consumption.
Weight
The weight of a given barge tow can vary by thousands of pounds, largely due to the number of barges the boat/tug is pushing. Depending on the size of the river and the size of the barge, a river tow can include between 12 and 40 barges. More weight requires more fuel, making the boat fuel costs for a 40 barge tow significantly higher than a 12 barge tow.
Speed
Fuel efficiency decreases at higher speeds,which means that the faster a boat moves, the more fuel it will use per mile. Typically, a 10% speed reduction can decrease fuel consumption by over 20%. However, decreasing the speed will increase the amount of time on the water and increase other costs, like employee pay. So, many factors are considered when determining the ultimate speed of a barge.
Water Levels
Drought has a dramatic effect on the depth of river systems, which leads to higher costs for barge transport. As water levels decrease, it becomes more difficult to move heavy barges through the water. More fuel is required to push a barge through shallow rivers. This problem has been exemplified in recent years with the Mississippi river experiencing near-record lows, reducing water levels by over 10 feet and wreaking havoc on grain prices.
Upstream vs. Downstream Direction
The force of the flow of water can either help or hinder the movement of a barge significantly. While going upstream, the barge fuel use increases to fight against the flow of water. On the other hand, downstream movement is much easier and fuel efficiency increases. This dramatic difference is shown in a report by the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative at Iowa State University, stating that southbound tows on the Lower Mississippi River achieved 1,290 net ton-miles per gallon with all barges loaded while northbound tows averaged only 185 net ton-miles per gallon with a 31.5 percent backhaul. Most reported figures include an average of upstream and downstream fuel efficiency.
Average Size and Fuel Consumption For a Mississippi Barge Tow
While the actual amount of fuel used per mile will vary for each barge trip, a lot of insight can be gained by reports of average sizes and fuel efficiencies for barges moving along the Mississippi and similar rivers.
- A typical barge has a carrying capacity of 1500 tons.
- On parts of the Mississippi River with locks, tows typically consist of 15 barges. Wider areas without locks, on the lower Mississippi River, can support tows of 30 to 40 barges pushed by one towboat.
- A report from the U.S. National Waterways Foundation shows that inland barges can move one ton of cargo an average of 647 miles with a single gallon of fuel.
The fuel efficiency value here is for one ton. Since each barge carries around 1500 tons, the largest tows of 40 barges weigh around 60,000 tons. To put this in perspective, it will take around 93 gallons to move a barge tow of this size one mile. Diesel prices vary, of course, but using an average of around $4.00 per gallon, it’s going to cost around $372 to move a barge tow of this size a single mile or $37,200 for a 100 mile trip.
Of course, these figures can increase during periods of drought, when water levels are low, or at any time a barge is stalled and wasting fuel.
Needless to say, barge transport is expensive. Despite being a more efficient mode of transport, barge companies can still benefit from fuel conservation.
The Far-Reaching Effects of Boat Fuel Costs
Boat fuel costs don’t just affect the barge companies. The impact of the rising cost of fuel on barge transportation is wide ranging. Barges transport a variety of goods, including much of the nation’s grain products, petroleum, coal, and a range of sensitive chemicals and liquids.
Barge shipping prices can rise with rising costs of fuel, or when issues like low water levels cause an inefficient environment barge for movement and limits are placed on cargo. As these costs rise, farmers and suppliers are forced to take a cut in their profit, which might then be passed on to consumers.
When fuel prices rise consistently or recurrent drought takes its toll on the waterways, everyone can eventually feel an impact.
How to Reduce Barge Fuel Use and Lower Costs
Further reducing barge fuel usage can give barge companies a competitive advantage. As the barge industry continues to grow, finding ways to stand out as a leader in efficiency becomes more and more important. More efficient practices lead to less fuel consumption and lower overhead for barge companies and their customers. Below are some ways to keep fuel costs down.
Embrace Data Analytics
Much can be learned by studying past trends, and these insights allow more accurate predictions to be made. While this is a very general statement, it can be applied to many aspects of barge fuel use and the barge industry as a whole. For example, data allows for adjustments to be made during times of low water levels by determining lock delay times that could impact deliveries and the location of a vessel at any time, monitoring river levels, and by giving advanced warnings of changing conditions.
Data analytics can also help to optimize other barge operations. This includes determining the optimal speed for reducing the overconsumption of fuel at high speeds while still maintaining a sufficient speed to get to a destination in a timely manner.
Take Advantage of Shore Power
Although some ports still don’t offer the ability to connect, those that do provide the opportunity for fuel reduction. Boats can be retrofitted to connect to shore power systems, instead of idling and wasting fuel. According to the EPA, taking advantage of shore power can reduce overall pollutant emissions by up to 98%, and save 10% in fuel costs.
Upgrade Engines
As many industries look to reduce emissions and work toward a more sustainable future, hybrid diesel-electric engines are on the rise for tugboats. Older tugboats can be upgraded with these more fuel efficient options and plugged in to repower at ports.
These more advanced systems can also take advantage of engine data with wheelhouse readouts of fuel burn rate and engine load, so that fuel burn efficiencies can be analyzed and operational changes can be made as needed.
One case study conducted for an inland waterway tugboat equipped with hybridized technology, yielded a 62% reduction in fuel consumption. Although, some port infrastructure changes need to be made to allow for easier recharging options in the future.
Maximize Hull Performance
It might not be obvious that a well maintained hull can make a vessel more fuel efficient than a poorly maintained hull. However, according to a report from the California Coastal Commission’s Water Quality Program, hull fouling causes drag that can significantly slow a vessel, reduce its maneuverability, and increase fuel usage. These problems can be reduced by implementing regular hull cleaning and anti-fouling coatings.
BargeOps Technology Allows for More Efficient Operations
Whether your company wants to focus on data analytics for making more informed decisions on fuel usage or just streamline operations as a whole, BargeOps has the technology that can set you on the path to efficiency. Set up a demo with us to see firsthand how our services can help your barge company stand out.
