Rolls-Royce Delivers LNG Powered Cargo Ship, UK

Rolls-Royce Plc has delivered the first of a revolutionary new design of cargo ship which will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent, thanks to a combination of cutting edge marine technology, including a wave-piercing bow and an engine powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The first Rolls-Royce Environship, of NVC 401 LNG design, the Eidsvaag Pioner, has been delivered to Norwegian company Eidsvaag AS this week, and will soon enter service on a year-round schedule delivering feed to numerous fish farms around the Norwegian coast.

The Environship, which can be adapted for different ship types, incorporates a range of Rolls-Royce technologies to deliver efficiency savings for ship owners. When compared to similar sized diesel powered ships, the CO2 reduction can be up to 40 per cent.

Neil Gilliver, Rolls-Royce, President – Merchant, said: “The Environship has now moved from concept to reality with the successful delivery of the first ship. We firmly believe that the only way to make significant reductions in emissions and fuel costs is to combine a range of innovative technologies into one ship. Environship does just that, by bringing together complementary technologies as part of a highly efficient propulsion system.

“We’d like to congratulate the Vard Aukra shipyard and our customer Eidsvaag on the successful completion of the first Environship, and look forward to monitoring the performance of Eidsvaag Pioner in service.”

Vidar Eidsvaag, Eidsvaag AS – Operations Manager said: “We look forward to entering service with this vessel, the very first of the Environship concept. We have great expectations of both the design and equipment, and we hope and think that this vessel will enable us to meet future challenges in an even better way.”

Rolls-Royce  technologies, featured in Environship include a Bergen engine powered by LNG, the Promas combined rudder and propeller, a hybrid shaft generator to optimise use of electrical power and an innovative wave-piercing hull design.

Key facts about the Environship:

•     Earlier this year Environship won the Green Ship Technology Award in Germany, and two years ago received the Next Generation Ship Award at the Nor-Shipping event in Oslo.
•     The first of two larger cargo ships, from the Rolls-Royce Environship range, are currently under construction in China for the Norwegian company Nor Lines. Passenger ship designs are also under development.
•     The Rolls-Royce Bergen B-Series lean burn gas engines, as used in the Environship, emit around 17 per cent less CO2 (per unit of power) than a diesel engine.
•     The use of gas fuelled engines means that Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions are reduced by about 90 per cent while Sulphur Oxide (SOx) emissions are negligible.
•     These emissions are already within the limits of IMO (International Maritime Organisation) Tier III environmental legislation, due to come into force in 2016.
•     The Rolls-Royce Promas propulsion system is an integrated rudder and propeller, which alone improves efficiency of the vessel by 5 to 8 per cent.
•     The new innovative bow shape and hull form, designed by Rolls-Royce, also reduce resistance by up to 8 per cent, therefore reducing fuel burn and emissions further.
•     The vertical bow shape enables the vessel to maintain speed even in rough seas enabling operators to achieve demanding shipping schedules without the need to burn additional fuel to make up lost time.

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LNG World News Staff, May 31, 2013; Image: Rolls-Royce