Damen Shipyards Group has announced the first sale of its innovative DAMEN Air Cavity System (DACS) to Amisco. With its ambition to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder, DAMEN has developed DACS to support maritime operators in their efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Damen will retrofit the DACS system to Amisco’s cargo vessel Danita in Tallinn, Estonia. DACs is an air lubrication system, borne out of a collaboration between DAMEN and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). It maintains a thin layer of air over the flat bottom of a vessel’s hull, reducing resistance in the water, thereby lowering drag and friction. As a result, the efficiency of the vessel is improved with fuel consumption reduced by up to 15%.
DACS offers vessel operators a straightforward solution, for both newbuild and existing vessels, to comply with regulations such as the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) as well as the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). With DACS installed to Danita, Amisco will achieve the CII rating necessary to continue operating in the Baltic Sea in the face of new, stricter emissions regulations. At the same time, the considerable reduction in fuel consumption allows for a rapid return on investment.
During the verification of the fuel saving results, DAMEN was supported by the IACS class society, RINA. With RINA's expertise and assessment, DAMEN received independent validation of the significant fuel savings realized through the implementation of DAMEN air lubrication system.