Ship Design Meets IMO 2030 Targets, Partners Say

A ship design developed to reduce emissions through currently available technologies shows promise, according to the three industry partners involved in the project

Wärtsilä, Japanese ship builder Oshima Shipbuilding and the classification society DNV GL said the next-generation 62,000 dwt Ultramax Bulk Carrier design is optimized according to actual operating profiles, and will meet coming emissions legislation. The design demonstrates that emission levels from conventional merchant vessels can be significantly reduced in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) targets, the partners said.

The project goals included the achievement of low emission levels, both at sea and in port, the fulfilment of the IMO’s requirements to reduce CO2 emissions per ship’s capacity-mile by at least 40% by 2030, and zero emissions during waiting time. A further aim of the project has been to create a new standard that maximizes the return on investment (ROI) for the owner. A key objective was to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the application of currently available technologies.

“Our smart marine initiative emphasizes collaboration between the various stakeholders, and this project is a prime example of how effective such collaboration can be,” said Stein Thorsager, director, Merchant and Gas Carrier, Wärtsilä Marine.

“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 off (PTO) shaft generator and controllable pitch propeller (CPP), and the result out-performs all existing designs in terms of efficiency and sustainability.”

The high efficiency of the propulsion solution reduces the EEDI by 50% 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.

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 optimized hull shape, and the option to also install a hard sail to generate extra propulsion. The hard sail system is being developed jointly by Oshima Shipbuilding and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

“To help the industry meet the ambitious GHG reduction targets set by the IMO, the industry needs to come together to advance ship design. This design halves the EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) of comparable vessels, and sets a new standard for low emission bulk carriers,” said Trond Hodne, director of Sales & Marketing at DNV GL.

Greater efficiency and better environmental performance has been made possible through collaboration with Wärtsilä and DNV GL, said Eiichi Hiraga, president at Oshima Shipbuilding.

“Oshima alone could not have come up with this new innovative design, which includes optimized propulsion, energy storage and solar panels,” Hiraga said. “It represents a future proof solution that will enable bulk carrier owners to comply with legislation while also lowering operating costs.”