Damen Coordinating European Innovation Project LeanShips
The European Innovation Project LeanShips – Low Energy And Near To Zero Emissions Ships – will demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of energy saving and emission reduction technologies at real scale. LeanShips is one of the first projects funded under the new European Research and Innovation Framework Program HORIZON 2020.
The project is coordinated by Damen Shipyards Group and jointly managed by the Netherlands Maritime Technology Foundation (NMT), the Center of Maritime Technologies (CMT) from Germany and Cetena, the Italian Ship Research Centre.
LeanShips officially started on 1 May 2015 with a grant of 17 million Euro. The large project partnership consists of ship owners, shipyards, equipment suppliers and research institutes. In total, 46 partners (81% from industry) from 12 EU member states and one associated country are part of the project.
LeanShips aims to put innovations into practice by carrying out eight demonstrator show cases that combine technologies for efficient and less polluting vessels with end-users’ needs and requirements. Dedicated teams of equipment manufacturers (technology providers), shipyards (technology integrators) and ship owners (technology users) as well as rule makers will make certain that the innovations developed in the project are matured to market uptake capability.
The following eight demonstrators are part of the project:
1. A CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered RSD (Reverse Stern Drive) Tug
2. An LNG tug
3. Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) or Methanol Dual Ffuel for Offshore Service Vessel
4. Efficient LNG carrier
5. Retrofit of short sea cargo ship (SECA) with LNG
6. Inland cargo ship with large oscillating propulsor
7. Large propeller for general cargo vessel
8. Energy efficient PAX /cruise ships
Target markets
The project target markets are the small to midsized ships for intra-European waterborne transport, vessels for offshore operations and the leisure and cruise markets. First impact estimates for LeanShips show fuel saving of up to 25%, CO₂ reduction of at least 25% and an expected decrease of SOx/NOx/PM air pollutants by up to 100%. Through their participation in the project, the LeanShips partners intend to set an example and encourage more ship owners to invest in green technologies.
The project kick off meeting will be held at Damen’s headquarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands on 16 and 17 June 2015.