Hydro Tapped for Next Gen Coastal Cruise Ships
Hydro has been awarded contracts from Tersan Shipyard to deliver aluminum solutions for the upper sections of ships under construction for Norwegian shipowner Havila Kystruten AS.
Due to be delivered at the end of 2020, the two Norwegian coastal cruise ships, Havila Capella and Havila Castor, will be identical: 124.1 meters long, 22 meters wide and able to carry 640 passengers. The ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and batteries.
Hydro was awarded the contract by Tersan Shipyard in Turkey after reviewing lightweight alternatives to steel for the upper sections of the ships. The advantage of aluminum is the possibility to design extrusions with a very high strength-to-weight ratio compared to steel. By choosing aluminum extrusions from Hydro, it was possible to reduce the overall weight of the vessels to improve displacement and draught issues. When using aluminum instead of steel, the overall weight reduction of the selected area was about 50%.
Hydro said it delivered an optimized aluminum design to meet the following criteria:
- Space restrictions such as ceiling heights and pillar locations
- Reduce the weight as much as possible
- Provide an innovative design to speed up the construction process
- Meet all the strength and deflection requirements
The concept design from Hydro was incorporated into the Havyard design and approved by DNV GL. When the concept from DNV GL was approved, Hydro started working with Tersan to fine tune the profiles and Friction Stir Welded (FSW) panel designs.
