Refit of 47 autopilots for major shipping company

State-of-the-art autopilots, such as the NautoPilot 5000 NX, are increasingly in demand not only for their accuracy but also for their efficiency. The focus is not just on newbuilds, but also on the increasing number of fleet modernisations, driven by the potential savings of fuel and emissions as well as improvements in the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII).

Together with its long-standing partner, Elcome International LLC, Anschütz is now upgrading 47 container vessels with the NautoPilot 5000 NX autopilot for one of the world's leading shipping companies. Elcome International will also provide commissioning, installation and sea trials by qualified technicians to ensure safe navigation and excellent performance from the outset.

The NautoPilot 5000 NX offers a unique combination of features that deliver significant fuel savings. At the same time, the autopilot, with Anschütz's proven steering algorithms, offers maximum precision whenever required. With a variety of standardised interfaces, the NautoPilot 5000 NX is easy to install in different system environments.

“NautoPilot 5000 NX not only impresses shipowners with its precision and efficiency, but the installation, configuration and commissioning are also really smooth”, said Gorakh Gangad, Manager Navigation at Elcome International. 

Anschütz has been at the forefront of fuel- and emission-saving autopilots for years. For example, Syberg AS also supplied the NautoPilot 5000 NX autopilot for a Swedish shipping company's fleet of ro-ro cargo vessels, which chose the autopilot to support more efficient operations with lower fuel consumption and emissions. Once again, the customer was very satisfied with the set-up process, the efficient operation and the precise performance of the new autopilot, especially when steering a new course and at low speeds.

The NautoPilot 5000 NX's fuel-saving features include an intuitive heading and rudder plot, a course control mode, an economy mode and a toe angle function. These features ensure less rudder movement, smaller rudder angles, minimal overswing and minimal drag. Savings of between 1% and 4% are confirmed by statistical data from prototype testing.