• 2019 March 13 14:48

    Retrofits and hybrids stake their claims on Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship Award

    This year will see another vessel chosen by the Next Generation Ship Award Jury as the winner of the prestigious prize presented by the organisers of Nor-Shipping.

    Entry to the award is open to all vessels that have either been delivered or which have undergone major conversion since the 2017 Nor-Shipping Exhibition, or that are scheduled for delivery within three years of the 2019 event. Nor-Shipping’s expert jury will look to identify the project demonstrating the greatest advances and innovation in design, assessed with respect to energy efficiency, innovation, suitability and flexibility, technology utilisation, safety and security and environmental sustainability. All ship types will be given equal consideration, regardless of size or segment. The jury will soon begin drawing up its shortlist and will be meeting in April to decide the eventual winner.

    Ships are long term assets and in a fast moving world of technological innovation keeping ahead of the pack means either integrating the advances in newbuildings or giving existing ships a new edge by retrofit or conversion. ShipInsight is showcasing all of the entries for this year’s award in a series of articles. Here we present the first five that are a mix of newbuildings and conversions or retrofits. They are presented in the order of entry date and thus nothing about their chances of success in the awards should be inferred.

    Fehn Pollux is a 1996-built 4211dwt general cargo ship which has been retrofitted with the lightweight EcoFlettner rotor. In perfect wind conditions the EcoFlettner produces a maximum thrust in close to optimal wind conditions. The EcoFlettner produces a thrust equivalent to about 700 kW main engine power output. This is in the same range as the main engine power output under service conditions. That means for Fehn Pollux a saving of over a half tonne of MGO or in other words a fuel and emission reduction of about 15% on average under medium wind conditions.

    On Fehn Pollux understanding of how to get the best from the rotors is a combination of crew training and the application of a novel monitoring and control system which allows an automated rotor operation controlled by a tailor-made user interface installed on the bridge. The system is complemented by an advanced routing system developed in parallel within the MariGREEN project.

    The installation of a Wärtsilä battery hybrid propulsion solution on the 2012-built 4,699dwt general cargo ship will significantly enhance the ship’s environmental performance by reducing its emissions, fuel consumption, and noise. Included in the retrofit are a battery package, a shore power connection to provide power for loading/unloading operations and for battery charging, a new reduction gear with power take-off (PTO) and power take-in (PTI) technology, and a SCR NOx system. It is estimated that the total reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions after the retrofit could be as much as 80 to 90%, while overall fuel cost savings are expected to be in the range of 5 to 10 percent. The hybrid propulsion will allow port movement on battery power alone.

    The short sea trade has a large environmental impact for port cities around the world. Hagland Captain will thus set a new benchmark for this trade with hopes that more vessels will follow.

    A series of hybrid Suezmax shuttle tankers under construction at Samsung. Teekay’s new “E-Shuttle” tankers will operate on both LNG as the primary fuel, and a mixture of LNG and recovered volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as secondary fuel, with MGO as backup.

    VOCs are produced in a gaseous state from evaporation occurring in the oil cargo tanks. This mixture of VOC and LNG as fuel enables the new shuttle tankers to travel from the oil fields on their own waste gas rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. This will reduce both emissions and bunkering requirements considerably. In fact, by reusing those VOCs as a fuel, the annual emissions can be reduced by 42%. But the positive benefits don’t stop there. The new battery hybrid system also has a direct positive impact on the main machinery operation, resulting in fewer running hours and consequently lower maintenance time and costs. Further, safety is enhanced by the batteries assisting in DP mode thus allowing for immediate power when needed.

    Sajir is another conversion project and allows its owner Hapag-Lloyd to be the first company in the world to convert a large container ship to LNG propulsion. This pilot project paves the way for converting large ships to LNG. Using LNG in the shipping industry could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by 15 to 30% and sulphur dioxide and particulate matter by more than 90%.

    Hapag-Lloyd will retrofit its 15,000teu ship Sajir to operate main engine and auxiliary engine as well as the boiler on LNG. The Vessel will be fitted with a 6,500m3 LNG tank and be operated in the Far East Service. The contract for the retrofitting was signed in January 2019 with Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding. The conversion will be carried out in the Shanghai-based shipyard Huarun Dadong Dockyard Co., Ltd. During its time in the shipyard, the ship’s fuel system and its existing heavy fuel oil-burning engine will be converted into an LNG engine system.

    Wind of Change is a Salt 0193 design offshore wind service vessel being built by Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for French owner LDA.

    As well as state-of-the-art cranes and a heave compensated gangway, this DP-2 class vessel features a hybrid propulsion system and the ABB DC grid and MAN medium speed gen-sets. The approach of this diesel-electric system increases safety, cuts operational costs, improves lifecycle economics and decreases the environmental footprint. This is a next-generation propulsion system. When it comes to efficiency, there are also two batteries on board which provide instantaneous power as need to meet DP requirements. As a benefit of the batteries, the fuel consumption of the generators has been significantly reduced, in addition to energy efficiency, the exhaust emissions have been significantly reduced. In addition the diesel engines are prepared to install SCR in order to reduce the emission of NOx and Sox.


2024 March 28

18:05 Jan De Nul, ENGIE and Equans launch a pilot project centred around the use of Vanadium Redox Flow batteries
17:35 Latvian port equipment manufacturer Bleste introduces new bulk handling ‘bucket’
17:05 Investors upgrade Navios Maritime Partners
16:25 DEME reports 22% increase in the orderbook and a record-high turnover of 3.3 billion euros in 2023
16:14 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 13, 2024
15:41 AD Ports Group announced the opening of Saadiyat Marina & Ferry Terminal and Rabdan Marina
15:11 Sydney invests $11.5 million in two new operational vessels designed by Incat Crowther
14:55 China’s Jinzhao wins Peru $405m port construction contract
14:13 APM Terminals Moín handled six million TEU
13:48 ClassNK grants Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to two innovative initiatives by MOL
13:37 Konecranes launches its flagship Konecranes X-series industrial crane
12:53 United European Car Carriers UECC spearheads collaboration with industry leaders to advance CNSL as a sustainable marine fuel
12:26 Ocean Network Express announces Transpacific service
11:48 Yang Ming announces 2025 Trans-Pacific service network
11:24 Fincantieri signs contract for the supply of two PPAs to Indonesia
10:42 Maersk transported more than 660,000 TEU using clean fuel in 2023
10:23 Documentation delays push industry costs to $3bn
09:48 PONANT and FARWIND Energy partner to develop green hydrogen refueling solutions

2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
17:58 The recently converted Allseas's shallow water pipelay barge starts preparations for its first commercial project
17:38 The Port of Rotterdam calls on the European Commission and Parliament to focus on actively promoting green energy
15:23 SEFE to become sole shareholder of WIGA
14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
14:23 Cadeler signs offshore wind turbine installation contract for the vessel Wind Scylla
13:42 Carnival Cruise Line orders 5th Excel-class cruise ship
13:11 Maersk and MSC overcharging cargo owners for EU ETS, says T&E
12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
12:11 Clarkson Port Services and Peak Group collaborate to deliver Port Agency services across the North Sea
11:42 Wan Hai Lines holds ship naming ceremony for new vessels
11:24 Consolidated shipping lines EBIT loss was $1.44 billion in Q4 2023: Sea-Intelligence
10:49 Seaspan Shipyards receives long-term contracts for the pre-construction work of the the Canadian Coast Guard's first six multi-mission vessels
10:14 Woodside completes sale of 10% scarborough interest

2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
17:30 Davie awarded first contract for design of icebreaker fleet under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy
17:04 Sanctions complicate Arctic LNG ship sales, Hanwha Ocean says - Bloomberg
16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
15:50 Hanwha Ocean develops VR-based special vehicle simulator
15:20 TotalEnergies and SINOPEC join forces to produce sustainable jet fuel at a SINOPEC's refinery
14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
13:51 Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge
13:12 Final sanctioned tanker with Russian Sokol oil to reach China port - Reuters
12:42 Adani Ports acquires 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port from SP Group for $162 million
12:21 IHI and Yara Clean Ammonia agree to jointly assess clean ammonia business collaboration
11:41 Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane granted safety permit to build world's first low emission ammonia bunkering terminal
11:16 Wartsila and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
10:46 A global carbon tax on shipping is coming, says ABS Chairman and CEO
10:21 Eni, Fincantieri and RINA establish partnership for maritime transport decarbonization

2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
17:31 “K” Line, NIPPON HAKUYO and OPT Gate sign an agreement for a new fire detection system for car carriers
17:07 Greek merchant fleet recorded slight decline in January 2024
16:47 Hanwha Ocean Plans to develop green technology and naval ships
16:25 U-Ming Singapore and ITOCHU sign milestone MoU for the joint development of ammonia dual-fuel and de-carbonized vessels
15:34 Svitzer targets methanol-fuelled MAN 175DF-M engine for tug application
15:04 Wallenius Wilhelmsen signs contracts for four 9,300 CEU vessels with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard
14:40 Taiwan International Port to upgrade terminal facility at Kaohsiung
13:59 Сruise ship Carnival Freedom catches fire near Bahamas
12:59 Hanwha Ocean wins 2.4 tln-won order for 8 LNG ships
11:16 Inland Ports meet in Paris to talk about the innovation potential of inland ports
10:50 IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”
10:24 Hapag-Lloyd to continue to avoid the Red Sea route
09:58 QatarEnergy enters time charter agreements with Nakilat for the operation of 25 LNG vessels

2024 March 24

16:18 Inchgreen Marine Park upgraded as part of £11m investment
15:14 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Solent Rail Terminal Rail was held at the Port of Southampton
14:08 ESNA and Strategic Marine join forces to offer Surface Effect Ship (“SES”) Crew Transfer Vessels (“CTV”) to the market
13:07 First LNG powered vessel calls at HIP
12:49 Inter-array cable installation completed at Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm
11:32 Equinor ASA posts net income at USD 11.9 billion in 2023
09:25 Edda Wind announces the sale of Edda Passat