ETI project to increase fuel efficiency of ships

The Energy Technologies Institute is investing £3 million in a project which could cut emissions and increase fuel efficiency of ships by 8%

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is investing £3 million in a project which could cut emissions and increase fuel efficiency of ships by 8%.

The project, which aims to design and demonstrate a commercially viable High Efficiency Propulsion System for ships, will deliver a full scale demonstrator of Flettner Rotor technology on a large ocean going vessel.

To go forward with the project, a Request for Proposals, which will close on 3rd June 2016, has been issued seeking partners capable of delivering the project which should be suitable for deployment on a range of different ships including general cargo and container vessels.

The successful respondents will be expected to create a design which will be manufactured and tested in a controlled environment, before being retrofitted and demonstrated on a test vessel. 

Deborah Stubbs, the ETI’s High Efficiency Propulsion System project Manager said: “Heavy duty vehicles including shipping currently contribute 8% to the UK’s CO2 emissions. Apart from bio-fuels, the low carbon options for replacing fossil fuels as their energy source are limited so increasing fuel efficiency will be increasingly important if emissions and costs are to be reduced."

The efficiency of ships can be improved in a number of ways including reducing the ship’s thrust demand or increasing propeller area. However, there are practical constraints such as how to integrate devices onto existing vessels and issues around noise and durability.

Stubbs added: “This project will aim to develop and demonstrate a commercially viable solution, which is robust, durable and reliable and suitable for a range of different types of vessels.”