Ships could be saving as much as 6 mt/day in fuel consumption from an upgrade to their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, according to technology firm VIKAND.

The company has developed an HVAC system that uses 8% less compressor energy, translating to more than a 6 mt/day reduction in fuel use, it said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

The system increases the circulation of clean air, reducing the need for energy-intensive intake of hot, humid outside air and lowering HVAC load, engine demand, and fuel consumption.

“”This is a scalable solution with immediate impact,” Mattias Hallberg, director of technical solutions at VIKAND, said in the statement.

“It improves vessel efficiency, supports ESG goals, and enhances onboard wellbeing.”

Shipping firms are taking on a range of energy-efficiency technologies in a bid to drive down fuel consumption and carbon emissions in the wake of stricter environmental regulations. This is contributing to a long-term global decline in demand for conventional bunker fuels.