Isle of Man Ship Registry expands fleet with four new energy efficient Berge Bulk vessels
The Isle of Man Ship Registry (IOMSR) is reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most progressive flag states by registering four new energy efficient Newcastlemax bulk carriers from Singapore based dry bulk owner Berge Bulk, according to IOMSR's release.
The four 211,000 DWT Newcastlemax carriers, the Berge Mauna Kea, Berge Mauna Loa, Berge Haleakala and Berge Hualalai, are part of Berge Bulk’s continued commitment to sustainability. They will immediately benefit from the IOMSR’s reduced registration fees for vessels deploying green technology, with fuel consumption 15 per cent lower than other Newcastlemax vessels in Berge Bulk’s fleet.
Berge Bulk is committed to reducing its environmental impact and leading the industry towards sustainable shipping. These new vessels exemplify this drive. Equipped with cutting-edge energy-efficient features such as advanced hull designs, a smaller and more efficient main engine, and an upgraded stern gear system, the ships are optimised for both fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
Mr Mitchell said this is the second major green technology project the IOMSR has worked on with Berge Bulk in the last year.
Under the IOMSR green registration fees regime, the first launched by a flag state, Berge Bulk will receive a 10 per cent reduction on the annual registration fee for the vessels. Each of the ships run on six per cent lower fuel consumption compared to their predecessors and are 40 per cent more efficient than similar vessels built in 2008. The ships were ordered by Berge Bulk from Imabari Shipbuilding, in Japan, and come as part of the company’s ambitious bid to be zero emissions fleetwide by 2025 and to build a fully zero emissions vessel by 2030.
The vessels are each just under 300M long, 50M wide with a combined DWT of over 844,000 and they incorporate a host of optimized features including a smaller, more efficient main engine which is designed to maintain higher operating speeds and optimal maneuverability. This is achieved by new low-load tuning, which combines sequential fuel injection and exhaust gas bypass tuning for optimized specific fuel oil consumption, while reducing harmful emissions.
The vessels also feature an upgraded hull design - tailored to optimize performance - as well as an advanced stern gear system with a rudder bulb and a custom propeller duct to enhance propulsion efficiency. All of these elements enable 15 per cent lower fuel consumption than other Newcastlemax vessels in Berge Bulk’s fleet.
Berge Bulk plans to further the fours ships’ energy efficiency credentials by implementing power management, propeller fouling prevention and high frequency data collection systems for performance monitoring, alongside an advanced voyage optimization system.
This means that the ships meet the latest MARPOL regulations around air pollution. They are also fully compliant with EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) Phase 3 in advance of IMO requirements, which applies to ships of 400 gross tonnage and above engaged in international voyages.
The ships travel between Australia, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, China and Brazil, which are trade routes known for having favorable wind conditions.
Starting out with 12 vessels in 2007, the Berge Bulk now owns, operates and manages 90 safe and fuel-efficient vessels, equating to more than 15 million DWT in the water. More than half of all active vessels in the Berge Bulk fleet are IOMSR flagged.
The IOMSR, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, believes that the maritime industry has a collective responsibility to respond to the climate emergency. To that end, it became the first flag state to join the Getting to Zero Coalition, an industry-led alliance working towards decarbonizing the international maritime shipping sector.
It is a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action and the World Economic Forum. Members include more than 120 organizations from the maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance sectors.
