Frugal Technologies

Frugal Technologies ApS, a Danish marine technology company established in 2017, provides a propulsion optimization system designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions for large vessels. The company was founded by Peter Hauschildt, a naval architect and entrepreneur from Hauschildt Marine A/S; Lars Stoustrup, a computer scientist and the inventor of the system's core mathematical engine; and Mikkel Elsøe of Zolo International Trading. The founders combined their respective expertise in vessel design, IT security and programming, and international trade to address the maritime industry's need for greater efficiency and compliance with environmental regulations.

The company's flagship product, Frugal Propulsion, is an on-top, class-approved system that integrates with a vessel's existing propulsion controls. It leverages artificial intelligence, IoT, and machine learning to analyze real-time data on variables like weather, cargo load, and engine performance. By continuously calculating the optimal propeller pitch and engine RPM, the system acts as a sophisticated cruise control, ensuring the vessel operates at peak fuel efficiency. This can result in fuel savings of up to 15%. In November 2023, Frugal Technologies secured a strategic investment from global automation firm Emerson to accelerate the worldwide sales and service of its technology.

Frugal Propulsion is engineered for straightforward installation, typically completed within a single day. Beyond fuel savings, the system includes a Shaft Power Limitation (ShaPoLi) feature to help shipowners comply with the International Maritime Organization's EEXI (Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index) regulations. The company also offers a cloud-based platform, My Data, which provides a dashboard for visualizing vessel data, monitoring fleet performance, and enabling predictive maintenance by detecting operational anomalies in temperature, pressure, and vibration. This allows for better-informed decisions regarding maintenance schedules for hull cleaning and engine overhauls. The business model focuses on selling this hardware and software solution directly to ship owners and operators, such as Uni-Tankers, Christiania Shipping, and Royal Arctic Line, offering a return on investment in as little as six to eighteen months.

Keywords: maritime technology, fuel optimization, propulsion efficiency, marine engineering, CO2 emissions reduction, vessel performance, ship automation, AI in shipping, IoT marine applications, predictive maintenance, EEXI compliance, Shaft Power Limitation, Frugal Propulsion, Peter Hauschildt, Lars Stoustrup, maritime data analytics, fleet management software, sustainable shipping, fuel consumption, vessel control systems