Keep working assets supplied onsite
Designated fuel points can support vessels, service vehicles and equipment without relying on repeated offsite refuelling journeys.
Industry solution
Ports and marinas Controlled marine fuelling.
Control fuel issued to workboats, harbour craft, marina fleets and shore-side equipment with authorised dispensing, asset identification and transaction reporting.
Ports and marinas can combine vessels, vehicles, contractors and several fuel points across long operating hours. A practical fuel-management system needs to fit the movement of the site while keeping each transaction attributable to the right user, vessel or asset.
Understanding the operation
One fuel operation across water and shore.
A port or marina may need to account for harbour craft, pilot or patrol boats, workboats, maintenance vehicles, forklifts, generators and other operational assets. Different teams can work from separate berths, yards or service areas while drawing from shared storage.
We can provide a controlled process around suitable storage and dispensing equipment so authorised users identify themselves and the asset before fuel is released. The resulting transactions can then be reviewed centrally by vessel, vehicle, department, contractor, location or reporting group.
Marine sites vary considerably. High-volume ship bunkering, retail or resale fuel, payment systems, hazardous-area requirements and other port-specific compliance needs must be assessed separately from a standard fleet fuel-management installation.
Benefits for ports and marinas
Control fuel without losing operational flexibility.
Where the storage and dispensing arrangement is suitable, connected fuel management can replace shared keys and manual logs with a controlled transaction record that follows the user, vessel or asset.
Know which vessel or asset took fuel
Transactions can be associated with configured vessels, vehicles, equipment, users and operating groups rather than remaining as an unexplained pump total.
Separate teams and contractors
Authorised access and reporting groups help distinguish activity where marina staff, harbour teams, contractors or separate operating companies share infrastructure.
Improve visibility of available fuel
Tank information and transaction history can support replenishment planning and help responsible teams investigate unusual movement.
Typical operational problems
Connect vessels, shore equipment and the people using each fuel point.
Mixed vessels, vehicles and equipment
A marine site can have very different asset types and consumption patterns. The reporting structure needs to keep vessel, vehicle, equipment and user records clear without making the refuelling process unnecessarily complicated.
Several fuel points across one operation
Berths, pontoons, yards and service areas may not sit beside the same tank or dispenser. The design needs to consider how each point is supplied, identified, connected and reported.
Shared access and contractor activity
Harbour teams, marina staff, tenant operators and contractors may use the same infrastructure. Permissions and reporting need to reflect who is actually responsible for each transaction.
Exposed operating environment
Coastal weather, salt exposure, communications coverage, lighting and physical access can all affect equipment placement. The live environment needs to be reviewed before hardware is specified.
Day-to-day workflow
Link each dispense to the vessel or shore asset.
1. Authorise the user
The operator presents the approved identification method at the designated fuel point.
2. Identify the vessel or asset
The relevant workboat, vessel, vehicle or equipment record is selected or associated using the configured identification process.
3. Record the dispense
The measured quantity is captured with the user, asset, time and fuel-point information supported by the selected configuration.
4. Review and allocate
Operations or management teams can review recorded fuel by vessel, asset, department, contractor, location or reporting period.
Relevant capabilities
Specify each fuel point for its location and operating role.
Identification at the point of dispensing
Define how harbour teams, marina staff and authorised contractors identify themselves and the vessel or asset receiving fuel. Keep the user, asset and reporting group distinct in the agreed workflow, including where several teams share the same fuel point.
FT4000 control at compatible installations
Standalone FT4000 control offers a route for managing suitable existing pumps. Review the tank supply, meter interface and required flow at each location, alongside exposure, protection and access. Equipment suitability must be confirmed for the actual port or marina environment.
Tankwatch with a defined monitoring arrangement
TankWatch provides stock, available capacity, delivery and movement information. The tank, probe, local display and communications arrangement determine how that information reaches your replenishment team.
FMO reporting for connected fuel points
Use consistent vessel, vehicle, equipment and user records to review measured fuel issues across connected locations. Agree the departments, contractors and reporting periods that the operational review needs, with responsibility for maintaining records and investigating exceptions.
Operational value
Review fuel issues and stock across the working site.
Controlled accessReduce reliance on shared pump keys and uncontrolled release procedures.
Vessel and asset visibilityKeep fuel transactions associated with the correct operational asset.
Clearer reconciliationReview measured transactions alongside deliveries and available stock information.
Better replenishment planningUse tank information and transaction patterns to support fuel-order decisions.
Complete-system specification
Design the marine fuel system around the operation.
A useful port or marina specification connects dispensing, access control, tank monitoring, reporting and support to the way vessels, vehicles and people actually move through the site.
Fuel points, assets, users and data
Which tank supplies each fuel point, which assets use it, and which team is responsible for the recorded fuel?
- Map storage, pumps, berths, pontoons, yards and vehicle access
- Define vessels, vehicles, equipment, users, contractors and reporting groups
- Confirm products, expected flow, metering, tank capacity and delivery access
- Identify power, communications and environmental constraints at each fuel point
Plan for a working marine environment
Can users and service teams reach the equipment in the actual operating conditions, and where must communications be tested?
- Confirm equipment placement and protection for the actual environment
- Test communications and any required local functionality
- Train representative users from the relevant operating groups
- Plan inspection, maintenance and service access around port or marina operations
The project specification must separately address any requirements for retail fuel sales, payment, legal metrology, hazardous areas, marine bunkering or other site-specific regulatory controls.
Implementation approach
Map the fuel points and the access each one needs.
Your site enquiry can include a site plan showing which tanks supply each berth, pontoon, yard and shore-side fuel point. Add the vessels and assets served, shared users, delivery routes and practical service access. Record the power, communications and exposure at each location so the equipment and reporting proposal can be checked against the working site.
- Map every tank, pump, berth, pontoon and shore-side refuelling location within scope.
- List the vessels, vehicles, equipment, departments, contractors and other authorised users.
- Confirm fuel products, expected transaction volumes, flow requirements and peak operating periods.
- Review exposure, electrical supply, communications, physical protection and service access at each location.
- Separate internal fleet requirements from any retail, resale, bunkering or payment process that needs additional controls.
- Agree user administration, reporting responsibilities, commissioning and ongoing support before handover.
Recommended next steps
Helpful answers
Sector questions answered.
Can one system record fuel issued to boats and shore-side vehicles?
Yes, where the selected storage, dispensing and identification equipment is suitable. Vessels, workboats, vehicles and other assets can be organised within the reporting structure so transactions remain attributable to the correct user, asset and location.
Can several berths, pontoons or fuel points be managed together?
Connected reporting can be configured across multiple fuel points or sites where the hardware, communications and software are appropriate. Each location should still be assessed for its own flow, access, power and communications requirements.
Can a vessel or workboat be identified before fuel is released?
A vessel can be treated as an asset within the configured identification process. The most suitable method depends on the operating workflow, the selected hardware and how reliably the identifier can be used at the fuel point.
Can existing marina tanks or pumps be integrated?
Existing tanks, pumps or meters may be retained where they are compatible, serviceable and suitable for controlled metering. We need to review the installed equipment before integration can be confirmed.
Is a fleet fuel-management installation the same as a retail marina fuel point?
Not necessarily. Retail or resale applications can introduce payment, legal metrology, commercial and site-specific compliance requirements that need to be defined separately. The final design should be based on the exact operating and commercial model.
Can equipment be installed in an exposed coastal environment?
The actual location, enclosure, power, communications, environmental exposure and protection requirements need to be reviewed during specification. A marine or coastal site should not be treated as equivalent to a sheltered inland depot without that assessment.
