SWEDISH shipping company Stena Line has developed a new concept vessel which it says can reduce energy usage by 20 percent or more.
The 240-meter-long RoRo vessel Stena Futuro is intended for transporting semi-trailers and cars, apart of one of the company’s central goals to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
“The mission is to develop the most efficient and competitive vessel possible for a specific cargo capacity, using today’s available technology,” said Nicolas Bathfield, project manager at Stena Teknik, who has been involved in developing the concept.
“The goal is for the vessel to have the lowest fuel consumption on the market.”
Stena Futuro’s hull and superstructure have also reportedly been optimised to achieve the most efficient use of cargo space possible.
Low weight and optimised hydro- and aerodynamics are central to achieving low fuel consumption, with the vessel’s low and streamlined design a result of these ambitions.
In addition to the vessel’s design, Stena Futuro will be equipped with technology to limit its environmental footprint, the company confirmed, including hybrid propulsion, batteries and engines with low fuel consumption that can run on several different fuels.
Stena says Futuro’s battery system makes it ready to partly operate on electricity alone, for example, when entering and leaving ports, while solar panels will also contribute to the ship’s electricity needs.
The hull of Stena Futuro will also be equipped with an air lubrication system, where small air bubbles are released beneath the waterline to reduce friction between the vessel and the water.
A waste heat recovery system will reportedly make it possible to reuse the hot exhaust gases from the ship’s engines to meet other onboard heating needs as well as supporting electric power generation.
The developed concept for Stena Futuro also includes four 40-meter-tall wing sails, which can be retracted when needed, for example, when passing under a bridge.
The line said that recently developers, together with the Swedish research institute RISE, conducted tests and simulations of the sails’ usage to document both energy savings and how the sails affect the ship’s maneuverability and safety.
“The tests showed that Stena Futuro’s sails could potentially result in as much as 15 percent fuel savings,” said Mr Bathfield.
“We also confirmed that the vessel meets all requirements for stability and maneuverability in scenarios such as sudden wind shifts or quick course changes.”
Stena expects the ship’s design will play a vital part for Stena Lines future tonnage planning in the coming years, although it revealed there is currently no finalised plan for the production of Stena Futuro.
“We aim to help lead our industry in achieving the global climate goals,” said Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
“We work toward this every day in our ongoing operations, but we also need to be at the forefront in developing tomorrow’s vessels,” he said.
“The Stena Futuro concept is an important step in that direction.”
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