Germany: Eckelmann AG to Develop ‘E-Power Barge’

Eckelmann Group and TUI Cruises have signed a declaration of intent to provide power supply that will conserve energy and reduce emissions during lay times of ships of the TUI Cruises fleet in Hamburg.

The scheme provides for electric power to be generated on board a floating power station, or so-called “e-power barge”, using liquid natural gas (LNG), and no longer on board the cruise ship.

“The auxiliary diesels also in use by cruise ships in ports can immediately be switched off,” reports Eckelmann’s project manager Vanessa Fedorczuk. The favourable outcome: “Noise and exhaust emissions will be substantially reduced by comparison with conventional diesel engines, since we shall be generating the required electric power in environment-friendly fashion from LNG on board our barge.”

With shipping company TUI Cruises, Eckelmann Group has now found a first, significant partner that immediately discerned the advantages of the new system: “We are extremely interested in seeing that power generation using the e-power barge is further developed and implemented,” explains Richard J. Vogel, Chairman of the TUI Cruises Management Board.

The e-power barge will be operationally ready for the start of the 2013 cruise season. “The scheme is complete and tender documents are almost completely finalized,” reports Vanessa Fedorczuk. The contract for building the barge will be placed this summer, with investment volume for the prototype totalling around 15 million euros. This first e-power barge will generate altogether up to nine megawatts, sufficient for most cruise ships calling at Hamburg or also Kiel. The vessel will consist of a lighter about 80 metres in length and with a beam of 11.5 metres. Power will be generated flexibly, depending on demand, by several gas-fuelled diesel engines and matching generators. LNG tank capacity will total 300 cubic metres, sufficient for 100 hours of operation under full load. The gas-fuelled engines are notable for their high efficiency and low fuel consumption.

Among the suppliers are such leading industrial groups as Siemens, for example, for the electrical engineering. Companies competing to supply the engines include manufacturers MAN, Wärtsilä and Rolls Royce. Yet the Hamburg Ministries for Urban Development and the Environment and for Economics, Traffic and Innovation, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and the classification societies represented in Hamburg have also accompanied this project constructively and cooperatively ever since it was simply an idea.

Containerships, tankers or ferries can in future also be linked up with an e-power barge. All that is required is that such vessels should be equipped with a link for external power supply.

[mappress]
Source: Port of Hamburg, March 30, 2012