K Shipbuilding to use OceanGlide system from Alfa Laval

OceanGlide system from Alfa Laval (Photo: Alfa Laval)

Alfa Laval has signed an MoU with K Shipbuilding (KSB) covering installation of Alfa’s OceanGlide air lubrication system on future KSB vessels, including MR and LR1 tankers.

OceanGlide has leveraged company specialisms including fluidics and air lubrication to create a system which delivers airflow across individual sections of a vessel’s flat hull.

Essentially, the system creates and maintains a layer of bubbles under the hull to help reduce friction as the ship moves through the water.

Each section has an independently regulated fluidic band that produces a controlled air layer. The system’s efficient control of the air flow ensures an effective air layer remains in place with fewer compressors, which can be located anywhere onboard the ship.

It is reported that the system can deliver efficiency improvements of up to 12% in a vessel’s energy consumption, reducing CO2 emissions and EEDI, EEXI and CII compliance.

“OceanGlide is an innovative solution that helps improve ship operation efficiency, and we expect it to align well with our goals of developing and building competitive ships,” said Tae-Hyun Koh, CTO at K Shipbuilding.