A collaboration involving APL, Hyundai Heavy Industries and DNV has resulted in a hull design that will make APL’s 10 new ultra large container ships some 20 per cent more fuel efficient per TEU compared with existing designs. The design has been optimized for an operating profile along the Far East to Europe trade route involving nine speed and draught combinations. The installed propulsive power could be reduced by about 16 per cent  compared to the initial hullform optimized for one draft & speed condition.
The first of the new 13,800 TEU ships is under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and will be delivered next year.
The resulting fuel savings will be worth about 3 million USD per ship per year to APL. “In the current challenging market environment it is extremely important for APL to introduce efficient and flexible container ships, which help us to reduce slot costs. These ships will be the most fuel-efficient ships ever built to the Asia-Europe container trade,” says Cedric Foo, Group Deputy President and CFO of APL’s mother company NOL. “APL has decided to advance the delivery of the newbuildings, which have been ordered in 2011 using their superior fuel efficiency to make a contribution to cutting emissions as soon as possible.”
Traditionally container ships spend much of their time operating at ‘off-design’ conditions which increase hull resistance and reduce propeller and engine efficiency. In this case, the ships will operate at speeds typically ranging from 15 to 19.5 knots but with a maximum speed of about 23 knots. With the aid of sophisticated software and virtual sea trials, the three partners were able to analyse the proposed trading pattern of the ships and optimise accordingly.
“This is a new way of cooperation between the partners in a newbuilding project,” explains Gyung-Jin Ha, Executive Vice President of the Basic Design Office in the Shipbuilding Division of HHI. “Due to a concentrated and professional effort from all three parties within their respective roles we managed not only to keep the tight design schedule, but also to unlock an amazing potential for fuel savings,”
“For design optimization an innovative methodology has been deployed. Ideas and further innovation have been made more specific based on the DNV Quantum concept launched in 2010. We are pleased to see that this is utilized by HHI and APL for real designs now,” says Tor Svensen, President DNV Maritime and Oil & Gas. “This is the way of the future. Financial and environmental performance demands more sophistication, and DNV is ready with the technology, the people and the enthusiasm to ensure that shipowners get the best results possible.”
Smooth operation with Fuel Cells
Fuel cell technology proves successful in a new position paper from DNV Research and Innovation, giving hope to a future of reduced emissions from shipping.
With rising fuel prices and impending environmental regulations, the pressure is on for more efficient and environmentally friendly ships. DNV Research and Innovation has taken a leading role in facilitating the demonstration of safe and reliable fuel cell applications for ships. In the joint industry project, FellowSHIP, a 330 kW fuel cell was successfully installed, and demonstrated smooth operation for more than 7000 hours on board the offshore supply vessel Viking Lady.
Fuel cell technology of this magnitude has never before been installed in a merchant vessel, and the project is innovative on a global scale. The achievements of the project include significantly reduced CO2 emissions, improved energy efficiency and zero emissions of harmful substances compared to conventional engine technology.
This recent success with fuel cell technology indicates that it is possible to lower the contribution from shipping to global warming. Introducing fuel cells to ships benefit human health and the environment by avoiding local consequences of air pollution. It can even completely eliminate CO2 emission if hydrogen from renewables becomes available.
According to DNVs expert on the field, Researcher Eirik Ovrum, fuel cells can have a viable future within shipping. “DNV has paved the way for safe and smooth introduction of fuel cells for ships. We recognize that it will take time before fuel cells can become a realistic on-board alternative, mostly restricted by costs, but the FellowSHIP project has taken some important first steps towards a future for fuel cells on ships.”
Although fuel cell technology is not new, this recent success means that it has become relevant to discuss the potential for fuel cells in shipping, as done in the present position paper from DNV.
Research and Innovation in DNV
Research and innovation is a cornerstone in DNV and a key competitive factor that enables us to be on the forefront of new technological developments and provide high quality services to our customers. DNV invests 6% of its revenue in research and development activities. 1% of the revenue is dedicated to strategic research with a long-term focus. A key aspect of the strategic research is to identify main technology and risk management trends. Another is to develop new competences and services for the future.
Knowledge sharing is core to our success. A position Paper from DNV Research and Innovation is intended to highlight findings from our research programs. While some of these projects find solutions to specific technological challenges, others aim to share best engineering practices or to develop new global standards. In DNV we firmly believe that technology is a vital part of the solution for many of the global challenges facing us today. We are pleased to offer our technical capabilities, research and innovation to ensure a steady course towards a safe and sustainable future.
Source: DNV