Energy Efficient Ships News

Norwegian power solutions supplier Bergen Engines has been selected to provide four generating sets to support the world’s largest hydrogen ferries, operating on Norway’s longest ferry connection from Bodø to Lofoten.The C25:33L8A generating sets will be fueled by low carbon Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and will serve as support power to the hydrogen fuel cells onboard, which act as the vessel’s main propulsion power.Scheduled for delivery in 2026, these new ferries will be…

Wärtsilä and Swedish shipping company Furetank are co-developing and testing two technologies showing the potential to halve the methane slip.Running vessels on LNG or bio-LNG reduces emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx and harmful particles, but the downside is methane slip: the release of unburned gas fuel, not fully combusted in the engines.Although the fraction released is small, methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.Two technical solutions have been tested in Furetank’s Vinga series tankers.

“Deliveries of new container ships during the first seven months of the year reached a new record high of 1.2 million TEU in 2023, beating the previous record by 0.2 million TEU. As recycling of ships has remained low, the fleet capacity has grown 4.3% since January,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The contracting of new ships has slowed since its record in 2021 but has year-to-date remained twice as high as during the 2010s. The 1.3 million TEU contracted so far this year has therefore kept the order book high…

India has withdrawn trading licenses for oil tankers and bulk carriers that are more than 25 years old, its shipping regulator said, as the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter looks to cut emissions and reduce the average age of its fleet. The order also bans acquisition of such vessels that are more than two decades old. Under current guidelines, vessels that are less than 25 years old can be acquired without any technical clearance. "There is a need to modernize the Indian fleet…

Maritime satellite communications company Marlink, the smart network solutions company, has completed the acquisition of the satellite communications business of Hellenic Radio Services (HRS).Marlink said that the acquisition strengthened significantly its position and footprint in the strategic Greek market and enabled the company to further expand its service and support operations to meet the growing requirements of Greek shipowners."Through this transaction Marlink has acquired the satellite communication assets…

U.S. shipyards are making improvements to building ships for the Navy and Coast Guard today and in the future. In some cases, it means phasing out one class of ship and getting ready for the next. Or, it can be a drastic make-over.The yards include mid-tier yards all the way up to very large facilities devoted exclusively to warships. The ships range from the 353-ton Fast Response Cutter to the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin…

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping company Flex LNG announced Wednesday it has entered into time charterparty agreements with Cheniere for four LNG carriers with the option for a fifth.Under the agreements, Flex LNG will employ newbuild Flex Vigilant which will be delivered to Cheniere ex-yard in May 2021. In addition, Flex LNG will deliver two of its existing LNG carriers to Cheniere during the third quarter of 2021, and a third existing LNG carrier during the third quarter of 2022.

The 23,656 teu MSC Isabella became the largest containership to call the Port of Singapore when it berthed on 10 November 2019.The MSC’s Gülsün-Class of container vessels is currently the world’s largest series of container ships.To date, MSC Isabella is the biggest container ship to call at Singapore, the world’s top transshipment hub. Measuring around 400 meters long and 61 meters wide, the ship can carry up to 24 rows of containers, with a height of 13 tiers on deck. Its total capacity is 23,656 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). Its length exceeds that of the Eiffel Tower and it can transport the equivalent of about 384 million pairs of shoes.Singapore is the ship’s first port-of-call in Asia after sailing back from Europe. The ship was delivered to MSC in August 2019.

Japan-based Eco Marine Power (EMP), a company develops and markets renewable energy based systems for ships and other vessels, has applauded the recently announced introduction of the Poseidon Principles – a global framework for assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of financial institutions’ shipping portfolios.EMP said that these principles will also have a strong emphasis on zero emissions and EMP’s renewable energy solutions and design concepts are ideally suited to meet this challenge.EMP’s Aquarius Marine Solar Power for example is available now and was recently installed on a large cargo ship. This solar power system…

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to commission its new panel line, which expands steel production capabilities for the construction of commercial and government ships in San Diego.The American shipbuilding company with three shipyards located in San Diego, Norfolk, and Mayport said in a press release that the new panel line enables distortion-free welding of plates as thin as five millimeters to produce lighter, more energy efficient ships.The cutting-edge facility uses hybrid laser arc welding and numerically controlled robots to mill, seam and weld steel panels in a highly automated production line.

ALMACO secured the order to build 1121 passenger and crew cabins plus all the galleys, bars, pantries and provision stores, including cold rooms, freezers and walk-ins, for Viking Line’s newbuild at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (XSI) shipyard in China. For the accommodations portion of the order, ALMACO’s contract includes visual turnkey with some background works for all passenger and crew cabin areas as well as crew public areas.The catering areas delivery involves the visual turnkey installation, including flooring, wall and ceiling stainless steel panels, of approximately 800 sq.

French ocean carrier CMA CGM and Panalpina, the world’s fourth biggest ocean freight forwarder by transport volumes, have signed a sustainability agreement aimed at reducing their respective carbon emissions by 2025.As of 2020, newbuild LNG-powered mega-vessels with a capacity of 22,000 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) will help achieve the environmental goals.Aiming at responsible development in ocean freight, Panalpina and CMA CGM have signed a sustainability agreement for maritime transport.“Partnering with strategic partners such as CMA CGM that are technology driven and share a similar vision of sustainability, and using them to transport our customers’ cargo will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals…

The production of Viking Line’s new passenger cruise ship started at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry (XSI) shipyard in China.The first steel plates are being cut in the traditional Steel Cutting ceremony. The new vessel will be one of the most climate-smart ships in the world. The project has involved extensive engineering and development work with the intention to create a unique new-generation passenger ship.The collaborative project has engaged several suppliers in Finland and Europe. The vessel will be launched for operation in early 2021 on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route.The new vessel is designed with a focus on providing open and unobstructed views of the unique archipelago.

A delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Industry is visiting Denmark as part of the cooperation between the two Administrations. A Danish-Chinese workshop on energy efficient ship design and marine equipment will be held during the three-day visit. The workshop will be attended by the Danish Maritime Authority, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and other Chinese authorities, as well as shipowners, marine equipment manufacturers, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Danish Maritime. Director General Andreas Nordseth from the Danish Maritime Authority said: ”Cooperation between the Danish and Chinese authorities is a strong tool that facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Today, ten days ahead of schedule, TUI Cruises took delivery of Mein Schiff 5 from the Meyer Turku shipyard. Wybcke Meier and Frank Kuhlmann, CEO and CFO of TUI Cruises, together with Dr. Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku Oy shipyard, marked the occasion with invited guests at the handing-over ceremony. In the early afternoon of June 21, 2016 the ropes will be cut. Mein Schiff 5 and her complement of approximately 1,000 crew members will then set sail for Kiel, the first German port of call where she will finally dock on June 23, 2016. “Although this is already our third new build, it’s still incredibly exciting to see a new ship grow from the first steel cutting to the finishing interior touches.

Weathernews Inc., a privately owned weather company, will provide weather routing services, port forecasts and other weather driven risk communication services to Maersk Line and Maersk Tankers, for safety and bunker saving purposes. Operating from five global operations centers, Weathernews Inc. will provide continuous monitoring and communication year-round twenty-four hours a day for Maersk vessels with its Optimum Ship Routing service. Niels Bruus, Head of Fleet Performance…

On a sunny day on the Helsinki seafront, sparks fly from steel welding at the bustling Arctech shipyard, which seems insulated from Finland's economic recession as it strives to meet an order book that stretches into 2017. The world's biggest manufacturer of icebreakers, or ships that can navigate ice-covered waters, Arctech is poised to benefit from an expected flurry of activity in the Arctic, which is being reinforced by U.S. President Barack Obama's Arctic push. As climate change is melting sea ice and opening the Arctic to more shipping, mining and oil drilling, icebreakers will forge waterways for other ships, carry out rescue missions and do stand-by duties for oil platforms in the region.

Hamburg Süd has achieved its environmental goal of reducing the CO2e emissions of its fleet by 26% by the year 2020, compared to 2009, well ahead of schedule. This is due to a number of measures. These include investments in the energy efficiency of the shipping company’s own ships, the expansion of the average ship size within the newbuilding program, the chartering of energy-efficient ships and the further optimization of vessel deployment. All in all, these activities together have led to a significantly more positive effect on CO2e emissions reduction than originally forecasted.

The importance of Intra-Asian trade routes continues to grow as the region's economies continue to expand. Asian container traffic, in particular, is projected to be the fastest growing sector in the world for the next several years. In response to this Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed a novel container vessel design concept for this region: the C-Dragon concept. GL unveiled this new concept with the international maritime community at Nor-Shipping 2013. C-Dragon measures 211.9 meters in length between perpendiculars and 37.3 meters in width with a loading capacity of 3,736 TEU.

Heikki Remes, a researcher at the Aalto University in Finland, has developed a model making it possible to determine how fatigue sets in with various welded steel materials. The model allows for the development of lighter structures, and as a consequence, more energy-efficient ships. By utilizing modern manufacturing technology and new materials, it is possible to achieve more efficient structures than the ones that currently exist. In addition, better physical models are needed to ensure structural strength, Remes said.

Heikki Remes, a researcher at the Aalto University in Finland, has developed a model making it possible to determine how fatigue sets in with various welded steel materials. The model allows for the development of lighter structures, and as a consequence, more energy-efficient ships. By utilizing modern manufacturing technology and new materials, it is possible to achieve more efficient structures than the ones that currently exist. In addition, better physical models are needed to ensure structural strength, Remes says.

Maersk Line announced that it reached its 2020 target of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% from its benchmark 2007 levels. “We are proud to hit this mark 8 years ahead of schedule. It is confirmation we’re on the right track. And to keep that momentum we’re raising the target to a 40% reduction in CO2 by 2020,” says Morten Engelstoft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk Line. “Maersk Line’s focus on energy efficiency has made the company significantly more cost competitive. And by cutting our CO2 we’ve also lowered the CO2 emissions of our customers, thereby helping them meet their own CO2 targets,” says Engelstoft. Benchmarking data makes it possible for all customers to compare their shipping suppliers based on CO2 performance.

The German KfW IPEX-Bank evaluates energy efficiency of its merchant shipping portfolio, sees EEDI a key indicator of economic advantage. KfW IPEX-Bank, one of the largest ship financing banks in the world, has evaluated together with FutureShip, a subsidiary of Germanischer Lloyd, the energy efficiency of its shipping portfolio based on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). The applied valuation approach is based on the standards of the International Maritime Organisation (special organisation of the United Nations) and provides an indicator for the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of merchant vessels. From 2013 binding EEDI limits will be introduced for newbuildings.