Tugboat Fuel Monitoring: Fuel and Position for Tug and Barge

MANTRAZ is a tugboat fuel monitoring system for tug and barge operators in Indonesia and beyond who run tugs, often with a barge in tow, and want to know what each engine burns on every trip. Main engine fuel is measured by flowmeters on the supply and return lines, and every tug's position, speed and status sits on one fleet map, so the office can follow the fuel and the whereabouts of each tug and barge.

Why fuel is hard to follow on a tug

A tug works hardest when it is pulling. Towing a loaded barge puts a very different load on the engines than running back light, and the same route can burn quite different amounts of fuel depending on the barge, the current and how the tow was handled. A daily fuel total for the tug hides all of that. When the figure comes from a manual log, it is also hard to tell a real change in consumption from a recording mistake.

Position has the same gap. If the office has to call the tug to find out where the tow is, planning the next loading or handover comes down to guesswork.

Tug and barge fuel monitoring, per engine

The sensors and the onboard gateway go on the tug, the vessel with the engines. For each engine, MANTRAZ shows RPM, speed and fuel consumption side by side, along with fuel density and temperature, running hours and exhaust temperature. Auxiliary engines are usually estimated from running hours, and reports keep measured and estimated fuel apart.

Everything sits on one timeline. Move it to a stretch under tow and the fuel line shows what that pull cost, next to the RPM and speed that produced it.

Following the tow on the map

Every tug sends its position, speed and status every 60 seconds, and each connection is marked Online, Offline, No GPS or No Sensor. While a barge is under tow, the tug's position and track show where the whole set is heading. You can replay past tracks, measure a route with an ETA, and tugs beyond cellular range can still report through the app's satellite mode.

Bunkering and fuel on board

Every bunker is a chance for the fuel numbers to drift. MANTRAZ measures flow rate, density, temperature, mass and volume through each bunker, with a live total you can export to Excel, and raises an overflow alarm to the crew and the office when the tank nears its limit.

The Remain On Board balance ties it together: the start balance, plus every bunker, minus what the engines burn, with adjustments so the balance matches the tanks. You know how much fuel the tug has before you plan the next tow or order the next bunker.

Comparing tows on the same route

Tugs often run the same route again and again. Every voyage report lists distance, average speed, litres per nautical mile, fuel per running hour, time in each operation mode and the wave conditions met on the way. Put two voyages side by side to see the delta %, overlaid charts and both tracks on one map, and two ways of running the same tow become a number instead of an opinion.

Already running on tugboats

MANTRAZ is already installed on tugboats, as well as on LCT, MV and AHTS vessels. Tugs are one example, not a limit: the same system works on other vessel types too.

See it with your own tugs

To see tracking and per-engine fuel with your own tugs and barges, contact the team for a demo.