The consortium is about to receive significant funding from the EU ’ s Horizon 2020 programme for this research project called CHEK , with the stated aim of de-carbonising shipping by enabling key technology and innovative ship design .
In addition to the University of Vaasa , the participants are World Maritime University , Wärtsilä , Cargill , MSC Cruises , Lloyds Register , Silverstream Technologies , Hasytec , Deltamarin , Climeon , and BAR Technologies .
HIGH-RISING GOALS FOR LOW-CARBON SHIPS
The results of the project will eventually be field-tested on two vessels . One of them is the bulk carrier ’ Cargill ,’ making use of wind energy by utilising a sail . Another vessel in the pilot tests is an MSC Cruises passenger ship to be equipped with a hydrogen-powered ship engine that will be designed during the project .
According to researchers , the use and symbiosis of new innovative technologies can reduce as much as 99 percent of greenhouse gas emissions , achieve energy savings of up to 50 percent , and also reduce black carbon emissions by more than 95 percent .
Such innovative technologies will not simply be stacked onto vessels . The project will also develop the Future-Proof Vessel ( FPV ) Design Platform for charting the design of future low-carbon and energyefficient ships .
The new type of ship platform will provide the means to combine new technologies as favourably as possible so that they will be able to work together in the best possible way . n photo : MSC CRUISES
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