Pilotage adopts technology to reduce fuel consumption and gas emissions

With technology, Pilotage manages to reduce consumption by up to 20%, cut costs, and help the environment (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

A focus on improving vessel operations while also meeting ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices. That is the objective of EcoPilots, a technology platform that is being implemented at Pilotage São Paulo. The most direct benefit is the reduction in fuel consumption, which can range from 15% to 20%, resulting in lower operating costs and reduced carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions into the atmosphere. Two of the fleet’s 15 boats are already equipped with the system, and the plan is to expand its use.

The project development began in May 2024 and was completed in February of this year, but the actual installation of the equipment on the vessels took place last month, after testing was carried out. The project was conceived by Pilotage safety and environmental engineer Dorivaldo Viana.

“We saw that Pilotage boat operations had very little data available for proper management. With the arrival of electronic fuel injection engines, we discovered that a great deal of information could be extracted from them. We then started thinking about something that could improve vessel management and reduce CO₂ emissions”, says Viana, who has been with Pilotage for 16 years, 14 of them in the maritime sector, piloting the boats.

The engineer was joined by hardware developer Filipe Lourenço and software developer Douglas Oliveira — the latter a classmate of Viana in the MBA in Business Management at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), which added an academic dimension to the creative process.

“Even in the classroom, we started to develop some ideas related to Pilotage. We began collecting data from the vessels and turning it into insights, so we could better understand vessel operations”, he explains.

The equipment EcoPilots is based on robust hardware that collects engine data while it is operating. It is installed on the CAN Network (Controller Area Network), which houses the vessel’s entire electronic system. This is where all the wiring harnesses (bundles of electrical cables) are located, functioning as the vessel’s “nervous system.”

“It plugs directly into that network, and close to the hardware we have a 5G modem through which messages and data are sent to the cloud. With our dashboard, we can collect, process, and visualize all this data in real time, including on board the vessel”, he details.

Several parameters are measured, such as speed, fuel consumption, engine temperature, oil pressure, and acceleration, in addition to the boat’s handling and the routes it travels. “The screen the pilot sees on board has the same layout that we see on the computer at Pilotage headquarters”, he notes.

Award and interest EcoPilots won the ESG Challenge promoted by the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS). The winning team received a grant of R\$ 36,000 and 12 months of incubation at the Parque Tecnológico de Santos, with mentoring from the Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (Sebrae) and support from the Fundação Centro de Excelência Portuária de Santos (Cenep), in addition to the Municipal Government.

In addition to Dorivaldo, Filipe, and Douglas, the winning team also included sustainability specialist Gabriela Joaquim, who was responsible for developing and leading the project’s social pillar strategies.

“APS is very interested in this. So it can be scaled for the Port and perhaps even for other Pilotage services”, he projects. “But everything we know today about the tool comes through the operation of Pilotage Santos. It was also developed with the support of Pilotage and its commanders, because without a laboratory, it becomes much more difficult”, he adds.

Program measures speed, consumption, engine temperature, oil pressure, and acceleration of the boats (Sílvio Luiiz/AT)

Innovation hub Pilot and reserve Navy officer Sandro Teixeira da Rocha states that the benefits of the EcoPilots platform are clear: fewer emissions contribute to cleaner air and strengthen the Port’s image as a hub of innovation and sustainability, attracting more investment and strengthening the local economy in a responsible way. “EcoPilots is a practical example of how local experience, combined with technology, can make a difference, even internationally. Innovation is born in the Port of Santos and for it, but with an eye on the future of navigation worldwide”, he concludes.

Dorivaldo Viana: installation of the equipment on Pilotage vessels took place last month (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

For electronic fuel injection engines The current EcoPilots system works for any type of vessel that uses an electronic fuel injection engine, because it relies on the data provided by that system. However, Pilotage safety and environmental engineer Dorivaldo Viana and the other members of the project team are also developing and testing hardware for mechanical engines. At Pilotage, for example, seven of the 15 boats use this type of engine.

“We see that most port support fleets are made up of vessels with mechanical engines,” evaluates Viana. “Pilotage stands out by renewing its fleet with electronic fuel injection engines in order to achieve reductions in consumption and emissions, aligning with a green agenda. Next year, more boats will likely be refurbished to make this change”, Viana told A Tribuna .

Different approach Work focused on mechanical engines, however, is somewhat more complex and takes more time. There is a need to perform and validate all calculations to ensure everything is correct, but Viana believes the equipment will be ready by the second half of 2026.

“A mechanical engine provides information such as oil pressure and temperature, but what matters most to EcoPilots is fuel consumption. We will need to take this information and correlate it with a float inside the tank so we can determine how many hours the engine was running and the percentage of fuel that was consumed”, he explains.