Stena Line wants to reduce its CO2 emissions by thirty per cent by 2030, both by improving the existing fleet’s efficiency and by developing new vessels. The company’s latest concept is Stena Futuro, a 240-metre-long RoRo vessel with wing sails intended for transporting semi-trailers and cars.
Through optimal design and new technology, the Stena Futuro can reduce energy usage by twenty per cent or more.
‘The mission is to develop the most efficient and competitive vessel possible for a specific cargo capacity, using today’s available technology,’ says 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.’
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Optimised design, hybrid propulsion and solar panels
The hull and superstructure have been optimised to achieve the most efficient use of cargo space possible. At the same time, low weight and optimised hydro- and aerodynamics are central to achieving low fuel consumption. Stena Futuro’s low and streamlined design is 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 vessel will have hybrid propulsion, batteries and engines with low fuel consumption that can run on several different fuels. The battery system makes it ready to partly operate the vessel on electricity alone, for example, when entering and leaving ports. Solar panels will also contribute to the ship’s electricity needs.
Air lubrication and waste heat recovery
The hull of Stena Futuro will also be equipped with an air lubrication system. This system releases small air bubbles beneath the waterline to reduce friction between the vessel and the water.
A waste heat recovery system will 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.
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Wing sails
The developed concept for Stena Futuro also includes four 40-metre-tall wing sails, which can be retracted when needed — for example, when passing under a bridge. Recently, Stena’s developers, together with the Swedish research institute RISE, have conducted tests and simulations of the sails’ usage to document both energy savings and how the sails affect the ship’s manoeuvrability and safety.
‘The tests showed that Stena Futuro’s sails could potentially result in as much as fifteen per cent fuel savings. We also confirmed that the vessel meets all requirements for stability and manoeuvrability in scenarios such as sudden wind shifts or quick course changes,’ states Bathfield.
No finalised plan for the ship yet
The ship design will play a vital part for Stena Line‘s future tonnage planning the coming years. Currently, there is no finalised plan for the production of Stena Futuro.
Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line: ‘We aim to help lead our industry in achieving the global climate goals. We work toward this every day in our ongoing operations, but we also need to be at the forefront in developing tomorrow’s vessels. The Stena Futuro concept is an important step in that direction.’
Picture by Stena Line.
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