Products & services

Ulstein reveals ship design to solve the zero emission challenge

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 19 May 2022 19 May 2022

Ulstein has launched a vessel concept capable of making the vision of zero emission cruise operations a reality. Named Ulstein Thor, the 149m 3R (Replenishment, Research and Rescue) design will feature a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) to generate vast amounts of clean, safe electricity. This enables the vessel to operate as a mobile power/charging station for a new breed of battery driven cruise ships.

Ulstein believes the concept, hereafter referred to as ‘Thor’, may be the missing piece of the zero emissions puzzle for a broad range of maritime and ocean industry applications. To demonstrate its feasibility, Ulstein has also developed the Ulstein SIF concept, a 100m long, 160 POB capacity, zero emission expedition cruise ship. This Ice Class 1C vessel will run on next generation batteries, utilising ‘Thor’ to recharge while at sea.

Silver bullet discovery

“We have the goals, ambition and environmental imperative to switch to zero emission operations, but, until now, we haven’t had the solution,” comments CEO Cathrine Kristiseter Marti, Ulstein. “We believe ‘Thor’ might be the answer we’ve been looking for. ‘Thor’ is essentially a floating, multi-purpose ‘power station’ that will enable a new battery revolution.

“Expedition cruise ships operate in increasingly remote, and environmentally fragile, areas. At the same time the industry faces growing pressure from diverse stakeholders to preserve nature as it is and ban the environmental impact of cruising. ‘Thor’ enables replenishment of energy and supplies on site, while also boasting the technology to facilitate rescue operations, as well as conducting research tasks. It is, in effect, a crucial piece of infrastructure to support sustainable and safer operations. ‘Thor’ literally has the power to change our entire industry.”

The energy to transform

Thorium has been identified as having huge potential for a maritime industry hunting for clean alternative fuels.

MSRs are safe, efficient and operationally proven solutions that work by dissolving Thorium – an abundant, naturally occurring metal with low radioactivity – in liquid salt. The ensuing chain reaction heats the salt, producing steam to drive a turbine and create electricity. Although developments on land are well documented, its potential for delivering clean maritime power has yet to be incorporated into a vessel design. Ulstein, famed for innovating the revolutionary X-BOW® design, has seen an opportunity to change that, potentially heralding a new dawn of clean power for cruise and maritime operations.

‘Thor’s’ charging capacity has been scaled to satisfy the power needs of four expedition cruise ships simultaneously. ‘Thor' itself would never need to refuel. As such, ‘Thor’ is intended to provide a blueprint for entirely self-sufficient vessels of the future.

Generating excitement

Speaking about the suitability of Thorium MSRs as an energy source for maritime applications, Jan Emblemsvåg, Professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, an expert in the field of Thorium and nuclear power generation, notes: “MSRs have enormous potential for enabling clean shipping. There is so much uncertainty over future fuels, but here we have an abundant energy source that, with the right approach, can be safe, much more efficient, cheaper, with a smaller environmental footprint than any existing alternative.”

“From my perspective I see this as the most viable, and potentially the only credible, solution for a zero emission fleet that can operate under commercial terms and cost levels. The ‘Thor’ concept is exactly the kind of innovation we need for sustainable success at sea.”

An urgent conversation

Both ‘Thor’ and ‘Sif’ feature Ulstein’s eye-catching X-BOW design, created for greater operability, comfort, operational functionality and fuel efficiency.

‘Thor’ features helicopter pads, firefighting equipment, rescue booms, workboats, autonomous surface vehicles and airborne drones, cranes, laboratories, and a lecture lounge.

The expedition cruise vessel ‘Sif’ can accommodate up to 80 passengers and 80 crew, offering silent, zero emission expedition cruises to remote areas, including Arctic and Antarctic waters.

“Here we have two concepts in one to showcase a cleaner, safer and more sustainable way ahead for cruise ship owners and operators, not to mention maritime in general,” says Øyvind G. Kamsvåg, Chief Designer at Ulstein. "‘Thor’ and ‘Sif’ demonstrate what is possible when we approach challenges from a new direction."

“We have huge confidence in this solution and want to engage further in conversations about how we can enable the necessary changes the world demands”, adds Lars Ståle Skoge, Commercial Director at Ulstein Design & Solutions AS. “I’m excited to see where ‘Thor’ and ‘Sif’ can take us as we look to a zero emissions horizon.”

Broaden CO2 emission debate beyond fuel - OSK-ShipTech

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 03 May 2022 03 May 2022

In its strive towards net-zero emissions come 2050, the shipping industry should steer a different course from the one that is focusing only on the CO₂ emissions from the fuel. We must focus on the broader picture in the CO₂ emissions debate. This is the unambiguous message from OSK-ShipTech, the Danish naval architecture consultancy, which has been instrumental for the designs of many recent high-profile ro-pax ferries.

In shipping, the ferry industry has been leading the way when it comes to implementing alternative fuels and a transition to battery propulsion. It is generally understood that the smaller the ‘direct’ emissions footprint from ship propulsion, the bigger the ‘indirect’ emissions footprint from the construction of the ship. According to Anders Ørgård, Chief Commercial Officer of OSK-ShipTech, reducing the direct CO₂ emissions should remain a priority, but shipowners cannot turn a blind eye on the indirect contributors of CO₂ emissions: notably the manufacturing process of a ship and all the components it is made of.

A recent study conducted by the consultancy revealed that for a full-electric ferry, powered by climate-friendly electricity, non-operation-related CO₂ emissions could reach well in the excess of 55 per cent of the total CO₂ emissions produced during the ship’s 20-year life cycle. This study provides food for thought for responsible shipowners and illustrates that a holistic life cycle approach is paramount when considering a newbuilding.

“Rather than exclusively focusing on the emissions from operations, shipowners should make a cradle-to-grave life cycle analysis,” says Ørgård. “A life cycle analysis offers the opportunity to develop a build strategy, reducing the emissions during both construction and operation, thus further optimising the ship’s operational life.”

The study comes on the back of a controversy surrounding the idea of sustainability and the new guidelines from the Danish consumer ombudsman, which were released in December 2021. According to the new guidelines, it is emphasized that statements like ‘emission-free’ and ‘climate-neutral’ for example are to be fully documented through the product’s entire life cycle by use of life cycle analyses and to be verified by experts.

Unless you can verify your statement with an actual life cycle analysis, you could face fines in the order of millions, if you claim your product is sustainable. In the case of ships, such a life cycle analysis includes a cradle-to-grave evaluation. In addition to the ship’s operation, the CO₂ footprint from construction and recycling of the ship should equally be considered.

Life cycle assessment of a full-electric ferry

OSK-ShipTech’s study included a life cycle assessment of Fanølinjen’s 2021-built, full-electric ferry GROTTE; a 50-metre-long double-ended ro-pax vessel operating the 12-minute Esbjerg-Nordby shuttle service. Notwithstanding the short distance it covers, GROTTE effectively sails 12 hours per day. The study is therefore representative of a large ro-pax ferry with an equivalent daily operating time of at least 12 hours. The assessment, which covered the six stages in a ship’s life, all the way from mining of the resources and processing of the steel to the recycling of the ship, was executed in line with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards.

For redundancy’s sake, and to make long positioning trips possible, most electric ferries are still equipped with diesel engines. Experience from operating full-electric ferries has taught that they operate for approximately 90-95 per cent of the time on electricity. For this reason, they also need backup power from other energy sources. As per publicly available data, the climate-friendly electricity used to power GROTTE has an emissions intensity of 0.0187kg CO₂/kWh, compared to the 0.297kg CO₂/kWh of the electricity generated from a typical mix of renewable and conventional energy sources (such as coal, wood chips, and natural gas) available on the grid.

OSK-ShipTech has calculated that during its entire lifespan, from cradle to grave, GROTTE will produce 2,508 tonnes CO₂-eq from the ship’s operation with 1,833 tonnes CO₂-eq attributable to the manufacturing of the vessel. As the ship and its materials will be recycled upon demolition, scrapping of the vessel will have a positive CO₂-eq footprint of 1,124.54 tonnes.

There is no such thing as a zero-emission ferry

The tonne CO₂-eq from GROTTE’s operation still surpasses the tonne CO₂-eq from the ship’s construction by a good margin, according to Ørgård. “Our analysis clearly illustrates that a zero-emission ship doesn’t exist at all,” he says. “To put it simply, one can no longer ignore the CO₂ emissions generated from manufacturing, which can be more than 50% of the cradle-to-grave CO₂ footprint in some cases.”

Following this in-depth life cycle assessment, OSK-ShipTech is ready to apply the knowledge gained in future newbuilding projects, helping shipowners to develop a build strategy to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions during the construction processes. “A life cycle analysis already starts in the ship’s concept stage,” says Ørgård, “thus allowing us to develop a build strategy, which we can take into account, when we calculate the total cost of ownership and the total cradle-to-grave CO₂ burden.”

As the steel structure accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the CO₂ footprint in a ship’s construction, a strategy should be developed to focus on the hull and steel structure already in the design stage. “One should also consider the country of build,” clarifies Ørgård. “

In many countries, steel production is coal-fired. As part of their build strategy, shipowners should equally consider where to build their ships and where to purchase the steel.” Besides the steel structure, erection of a ferry’s accommodation configuration is another significant polluter, accounting for about 10 per cent of the total building process. “Our interior design branch, Steen Friis Design, has developed a tool to calculate the CO₂ emissions from the accommodation. This is yet another example demonstrating that we are with the shipowner all the way,” adds Ørgård.

ABB to power two new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection vessels with Azipod electric propulsion

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 27 April 2022 27 April 2022

ABB has secured an order with Chantiers de l’Atlantique for Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to supply the electric propulsion systems and remote support for the luxury cruise operator’s two forthcoming mega-yachts. The ships are the second and third in a series that began with Ritz-Carlton Evrima, to start operations later this year, also featuring ABB technologies on board.

With a capacity of 456 passengers, the two yachts will be larger than the 298-passenger Evrima while maintaining the exclusivity and personalized service that differentiate Ritz-Carlton. Both vessels will be built by the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with the first due for delivery in 2024 and the second in 2025.

“Ritz-Carlton Evrima will embark on its maiden voyage in August this year, offering a bespoke sailing experience on a luxury mega-yacht custom-built to the highest of standards,” said Douglas Prothero, Chief Executive Officer, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. “We trusted in ABB to supply the propulsion technology for our vessels featuring the highest level of service and craftsmanship. Our successful collaboration with the company has convinced us to call on its expertise again to equip our forthcoming sister ships, which will offer the same high standards as Evrima.”

“We chose to work with ABB on this project based on their proven track record in supplying leading-edge technologies for high-end vessels and the unrivalled ability to support shipyards with complex assignments,” said Arnaud Le Joncour, Program Director, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “ABB is a long-term, trusted partner of ours, and we are delighted to expand our collaboration to a new vessel segment, leveraging the Azipod propulsion units. This is an important project for all parties, and we look forward to the outcome.”

Key to meeting the efficiency, safety and passenger comfort demands of the 46,750-gross ton newbuild vessels will be the two ABB Azipod propulsion units, with the combined propulsion power exceeding that of the Evrima by 4.4 megawatts. In addition to Azipod® propulsion’s ability to cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent when compared with a traditional shaftline setup, it enables precise, efficient maneuvering with low vibrations and minimal noise for optimal onboard comfort.

“ABB Azipod® propulsion has been serving the cruise market for over 25 years, providing unparalleled maneuverability and efficiency for a wide range of ships,” said Juha Koskela, Division President, ABB Marine & Ports. “It is the ideal solution for operators like Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, whose high standards for onboard service and guest comfort will be matched by the performance of the Azipod® propulsors.”

As part of the scope, ABB will also supply the remote control system for maneuvering the Azipod® units from the bridge. Smooth running, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance will be supported through the inclusion of the ABB Ability™ Remote Diagnostics System in the vessels.

Cruise industry working group seeks to adopt Seahaven, the largest inflatable lifeboat

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 27 April 2022 27 April 2022

Global Survival Technology pioneer Survitec is teaming up with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH), Independent Maritime Advisors Ltd, and a major shipbuilder to deliver a cruise ship design incorporating Survitec’s Seahaven, the world’s largest inflatable lifeboat.

The companies established the industry working group with a view to installing Seahaven, the award-winning advanced evacuation system (AES), as the primary means of evacuation onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s next ground-breaking Prima-class of ships.

The 1,060-person capacity Seahaven, a self-propelled inflatable lifeboat, marks a significant step forward in maritime safety. The system works in conjunction with a marine evacuation system (MES), the first of which was installed aboard Norwegian Epic in 2009.

Ron Krisanda, Executive Chairman, Survitec, said: “Our involvement in this important project is a testament to the strong relationship we have with NCLH as their trusted safety solutions partner. We are delighted to be working alongside these visionary organisations to help equip cruise ships of the future with pioneering survival technology.”

“Seahaven also offers opportunities for naval architects to optimise vessel design,” attests Richard McCormick, Product Manager of AES and MES.

“By replacing conventional lifeboats with Seahaven, we solve the challenge of being able to evacuate an increasing number of cruise passengers quickly, safely and comfortably, while freeing up to an additional 85% of existing lifeboat deck space for greater passenger experiences,” he said.

Typically, a 4,000-passenger capacity cruiseship would require at least 12 to 16 lifeboats and up to four MES with liferafts, taking about 30 minutes to evacuate the ship. Just four Seahaven’s, would be required to evacuate the same number of passengers in the same amount of time.

Seahaven successfully passed Heavy Weather Sea Trials (HWST) in December 2021.

Inmarsat expands presence in expedition cruise segment

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 27 April 2022 27 April 2022

Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, is expanding its market presence in the luxury expedition market, with new orders for its industry-leading Fleet Xpress service covering three specialised Galápagos Islands vessels. The reliability and speed of the maritime broadband service will meet guest connectivity needs for the Quasar Expeditions luxury yachts Grace and Evolution and the Kleintours cruise ship Galapágos Legend, following two contracts signed with owners by Inmarsat partner Comsatel.

Located approximately 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos Islands form a remote archipelago home to a unique and highly protected ecosystem. Relatively few vessels have access to its waters, and those that do accommodate only a small number of guests. Communications in the surrounding area have typically been poor, with the islands’ topography affecting signal strength. However, expectations for internet access are growing.

Christian Cordoba, Maritime Channel Manager, Americas, Inmarsat Maritime, said: “Passenger demographics are changing, and with younger audiences come greater bandwidth demands. Today’s expedition guests visiting the Galápagos Islands want to share their experiences of this incredible destination on social media, or directly with friends and family, and this requires high data speeds and continuous connectivity. Fleet Xpress is therefore the ideal solution for high-end operators like Quasar Expeditions and Kleintours.”

In addition to delivering unequalled performance, Fleet Xpress offers access to further Inmarsat solutions such as Fleet Hotspot, which provides crew members with dedicated bandwidth to enjoy online entertainment and communication services without interfering with business-critical operations. Fleet Xpress also includes access to Fleet Connect, enabling Inmarsat’s Certified Application Providers to deliver valued-added services to ship operators worldwide, again via dedicated bandwidth.

Vikand, for example, is a telemedicine services provider whose solution, VIKAND HealthNet, aims to prevent onboard medical situations from escalating into more serious emergencies. With Inmarsat partner Comsatel leading efforts to promote telemedicine in Galápagos expedition cruising, Vikand’s services are increasingly sought after among local operators.

Hector Baquerizo, CEO, Comsatel, said: “The yachts and cruise ships operating in the Galápagos Islands are luxury vessels that offer guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but their onboard connectivity has not always lived up to those high standards. Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress delivers a level of performance and a suite of solutions that will change the game for expedition cruise operators in the Galápagos Islands – in terms of both guest experience and crew welfare.”

Inmarsat’s relationship with Ecuador-based satellite communications provider Comsatel dates back to the early 2000s. In 2017, the two parties identified the strong potential for faster, more reliable connectivity on board Galápagos expedition cruises. Fleet Xpress has since become a fixture in the area, with the service already installed onboard 10 vessels; the recent orders from Quasar and Kleintours further enhance Inmarsat’s reputation in a market where demand for high data speeds and bandwidth is growing rapidly.