Innovation of the Year
Today ’ s environmentally-friendly fuel solutions include LNG ( liquefied natural gas ) that is already being utilised , even for powering very large cruise ships .
LNG is a practical solution e . g . around the Baltic Sea region where IMO ’ s environmental regulations have in recent years become very strict . For LNG-fuelled ships , coastal LNG terminals are needed . Such terminals already exist in various countries .
Some cruise ships have dual-fuel systems : while the main fuel of the ship is LNG , the engines may also be able to utilise MGO gas oil or other substitute fuel . Running on LNG , this type of vessel has virtually no SOx emissions and its NOx emissions remain well below IMO regulation levels . The particular-matter and CO 2 emissions should also remain on low levels .
Future environmentally-friendly fuel options for ships will also include ammonia and hydrogen fuels .
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS
A number of hi-tech innovations that support emission-reduction goals have already been developed by Finnish engineers . For instance , Wärtsilä – known for its ship engines and power plants – is in the process of designing new types of environmentally-friendly engines .
A ship engine running on ammonia-based fuel is about to be launched to the market . Ammonia consists of nitrogen and hydrogen . Burning ammonia will not release CO 2 into the atmosphere .
Another ship engine concept utilising pure ammonia fuel is scheduled to be complete in 2023 , while ship engines running on pure hydrogen are expected to be launched by 2025 .
Two other Finnish companies , Flexens and Elomatic , are now cooperating to presently produce hydrogen and synthetic fuels in Naantali , especially for the maritime fuel markets .
Furthermore , VTT SenseWay has researched into reducing emissions of
THE ICEBREAKER DESIGNER
Lake Saimaa , Baltic Sea , the Arctic , Sakhalin , Caspian Sea , Great Lakes ...
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cruise ships in particular . Approximately one third of the fuel consumption of cruise ships is caused by passenger cabins – the second-largest energy consumption figure , right after propulsion . When a cruise ship is docked , energy consumption of passenger cabins rises to first position .
VTT SenseWay ’ s intelligent sensor device can be used to limit energy consumption in empty cabins and other areas where there are no passengers present . This matchbox-sized device can be utilised for energy optimisation , but it also can also yield an overview of the locations of passengers , thus assisting rescue work in fire emergencies or other high-risk situations .
The device can be integrated into the ship ’ s various automation systems . Pilot projects have been scheduled to start in early 2022 . n
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