HHI launches new fuel saving propeller attachment

South Korean shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) introduced a fuel saving propeller attachment, Hi-FIN.

After a year-long trial of the energy-saving device installed on a 162,000 m3 LNG carrier ordered from Maran Gas, HHI found that Hi-FIN can save up to 2.5% of fuel in comparison with the same type of vessels without Hi-FIN, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

If the fuel saving ratio is calculated on the basis of an 8,600 TEU containership, the owners or operators of the containership can save about $750,000 per year or $19 million for 25 years, an estimated lifetime of the ship, according to HHI.

The energy-saving device attached at the hub of the propeller generates countering swirls that offset the swirls generated by the propeller, and thus improves propulsion efficiency.

HHI said it has won orders of Hi-FIN for over 30 ships to date, and the company expects more orders now that it can install the device on broader types of ships from LNG carriers to almost all types of ships including VLCC, LPG carriers and containerships.

Image: HHI