Through the use of optimised propulsion, LNG, sails, energy storage and solar panels, a new type of bulk carrier has been designed that meets IMO's 2030 emissions targets. Remarkable about the design is that it uses currently available technologies.
The 62,000 dwt Ultramax bulk carrier is the result of a joint industry development project carried out by technology group Wärtsilä from Finland, Japanese ship builder Oshima Shipbuilding and classification society DNV GL from Norway. The vessel will reduce CO2 emissions per ship´s capacity-mile by at least forty per cent and can operate emissions free during waiting time. This is in line with the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO's) 2030 emissions targets. The project also sought to maximise the return on investment (ROI), which resulted in lower operating costs.
Propulsion Halves EEDI
'The design is based on actual operating profile data from Ultramax bulk carriers and it incorporates an LNG-fuelled Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel main engine connected to a power take out (PTO) shaft generator and controllable pitch propeller (CPP). The result out-performs all existing designs in terms of efficiency and sustainability,' explained Stein Thorsager, Director, Merchant and Gas Carrier, Wärtsilä Marine.
The high efficiency of the propulsion solution reduces the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) by fifty per cent compared to standard vessels of this size and type. The EEDI provides a specific figure for an individual ship design, expressed in grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per ship's capacity-mile
Environmental Mode
Other benefits include the ability to operate in an environmental mode while in port through the main use of solar panels, the installation of an LNG tank that is dimensioned based on the capacity needed for the operating profiles and the availability of LNG bunkering infrastructure, an optimised hull shape, and the option to also install a hard sail to generate extra propulsion. The hard sail system is jointly being developed by Oshima Shipbuilding and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
All technology used in the design is currently on the market, which means the 2030-ready design could already be developed today.
Picture: The new Ultramax Bulk Carrier design meets the IMO 2030 environmental targets.
