Energy Efficiency

Volvo Penta Unveils Its IPS Professional Platform

Volvo Penta has unveiled IPS Professional Platform, its new propulsion offering for superyachts and commercial marine vessels, slated for commercial availability from 2025.Volvo Penta said the new fully integrated helm-to-propeller solution builds on its proven Inboard Performance System (IPS) and Electronic Vessel Control (EVC) technology with enhancements for larger vessels.The flexible platform enables a vessel to have up to eight power sources, and includes matched software, services and support, all integrated via the company’s proprietary EVC technology.

Super Yacht Fit with Bespoke Marine Refrigeration System

Chillflow Solutions Ltd has designed and installed a bespoke R449A-based marine refrigeration system for a 65m super yacht, operating on high efficiency BITZER ECOLINE compressors.The oceangoing icebreaker required a highly reliable replacement refrigeration system to serve its onboard cold room, freezer and garbage store.Use of an off-the-shelf replacement pack was ruled out due to space restrictions, and the distance between the pack, cold rooms and condensers. The system also…

OXE Marine Unveils Diesel Electric Hybrid Outboard Concept

OXE Marine has developed a concept engine with hybrid drive that combines the diesel drive of OXE Marine's outboards with electric drive and thus offers even lower fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The OXE Hybrid 450 concept engine is said to be the world's first hybridized diesel outboard in the higher power classes and premiers at the International Boat Show in Miami.The OXE Hybrid 450 concept engine is based on OXE Marine's diesel outboard OXE300. By equipping the existing rig with a 400-volt electric motor connected to a lithium-ion battery…

Wärtsilä, Pastrovich Working on Sustainable Boutique Cruise Ship

Finnish marine technology company has teamed up with naval architect and yacht designer Stefano Pastrovich on the design of innovative sustainable superyachts for the boutique cruise sector."A new generation of boutique cruise ships is set to emerge, with the luxury of a superyacht, the construction techniques and passenger experience of a cruise ship, and a close focus on the environment. These cost optimized vessels will serve the charter and luxury hotel sectors in attracting and meeting the demand from millennials and cruise veterans alike…

Dometic Debuts Titanium VARCX Chiller

Dometic is introducing a new titanium VARCX variable capacity chiller at Seawork International in Southampton, UK. Dometic’s HVAC technology has enabled the development of the new chiller with two significant features - corrosion-resistant titanium and variable capacity technology for energy efficiency.The use of titanium condenser coils is designed to increase chiller longevity, ensuring seawater erosion and corrosion caused by marine organic growth are kept to a minimum.All Dometic VARC chillers adjust capacity output based on the current load demand…

Yacht Club de Monaco and Torqeedo Team Up

The Yacht Club de Monaco has thrown down the gauntlet for the sixth annual Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge, banning all fossil fuels and asking competitors and the Monegasque community to strive for zero emissions during the 5-day event.Torqeedo has partnered with Yacht Club de Monaco to ensure that all boats involved in the organization of the event are 100% electric and will serve as the event’s Technical Sponsor.The Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge aims to inspire technical innovation by matching the creativity of young engineers with experienced manufacturers to design…

ABB to Boost Superyacht Sustainability and Efficiency

A new 80-meter superyacht, built at the Nobiskrug shipyard in Germany, will feature a wide scope of ABB’s technologies that will enhance its environmental performance and help the vessel comply with the International Maritime Organization’s new Tier III regulations. The new regulation comes into force for all superyachts from 2021 onwards and requires nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to be 70 percent lower than those permitted under current limits.Due delivery in 2019, the superyacht…

New Onboard Hull Cleaning Solution Launched

HullWiper Ltd’s eco-friendly hull cleaning technology is now available as a flexible onboard solution that allows all types of vessels to clean hull fouling on demand.The onboard version of the diver- and brush-free remotely operated vehicle (ROV) gives vessels on a tight schedule the means to perform a partial or full hull clean on a planned rotation, as and when needed. Cruise ships and super yachts can clean at every stop without interruption to their timetables or inconvenience to passengers.The onboard solution…

Oliver Design to Showcase Projects at Navalia

Oliver Design will be showcasing some of its latest projects on its stand at the Navalia trade fair, which runs from May 22 to 24 , in Vigo, Spain.Recent projects from the Spanish firm, which specializes in naval design and architecture, include new state-of the-art vessels ranging from working vessels to luxury cruise ships. It has also carried out renovation on several existing vessels.The biannual Navalia is one of the top international fairs for the shipbuilding industry.

Dometic Showcases New Chiller Technology

Dometic said it will showcase its new chiller technology offerings at the Southampton Boat Show 2016, in Mayflower Park, from September 16 to 25, where the company will debut new VARC and Titan models. Following the introduction of the VARC48 variable capacity chiller, Dometic has now expanded the product range with the introduction of the new larger VARC72 model to meet the cooling and heating requirements of a range of boats and yachts. Innovative technology enables the chillers to continually adjust to meet load demands…

LNG-powered Fjord Line Ferries 'World's Cleanest'

Fjord Line's liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered newbuildings have claimed a new title as the 'world's cleanest ferries'. The Bergensfjord and Stavangerford have won the respective first and second places on the World Ports Climate Environmental Ship Index (ESI), which measures the emissions of over 3000 ships. The LNG-fuelled ferries are both powered by four Rolls-Royce BV12PG gas engines that drive highly efficient Rolls-Royce PROMAS integrated rudder and propellers. Of the 3194 ships currently on the ESI list, Bergensfjord scored 93.9 points followed by sister vessel Stavangerfjord with 93.5. Only 50 vessels had a score higher than 49.

Portland Yacht Services Opens New Facility

Portland Yacht Services has opened a new facility for boat storage and maintenance at its new location on the western end of the waterfront in Portland, Maine. The new tension fabric building was custom designed and constructed by Legacy Building Solutions. Founded in 1981, Portland Yacht Services had previously operated out of historic brick buildings on Portland’s eastern waterfront, but gravitated toward a fabric structure when discussing a storage facility for the new boatyard.

Non-composite Composite Decking: Really?

NyloBoard's Dr. Shae Brown shares global insights on emerging technologies for decking materials. NyloDeck manufactured by NyloBoard is called the “non-composite” composite decking material because it contains no wood or PVC and is not a cap stock product. Its material composition uses recycled carpet fiber and VOC-free resins to create exceptionally strong, durable and eco-friendly deck boards that are impervious to moisture, mold, mildew and termites, and will not swell or rot.

Cruise Ship Center of Excellence Launched

Classification society RINA Group has grouped all its experts on cruise vessels under a new Cruise Ships Center of Excellence. The aim is to deliver improved service to operators, designers and builders of cruise vessels, and to foster innovation in new services internally. “We have a lot of expertise around the group which can benefit cruise ship owners. Our recent internal reorganization has given us the chance to harness that expertise more effectively," said Paolo Moretti, General Manager, Business Line Marine, RINA Group.

Megayacht Electro-magnetic Propulsion System a World First

The  45m megayacht project involves KaiserWerft, Franck Muller Yacht Design & Engineering and Voith. The semi displacement 45 m yacht will be fully built in Kevlar and Carbon and the (electromagnetic) propulsion is to be powered by a Diesel electric system with new electric propellers from Voith Germany, as part of the Voith Inline Propulsor System, driven by an integrated permanent magnetic (PM) synchronous ring motor. The diesel electric system should result in less fuel consumption…

Eye on Desgin: Improved Propulsion

Fuel saving and emission reduction are motivating factors in the drive to improve marine propulsor technology and in the renewed interest in special devices that improve propulsion. Together with the industry, MARIN is actively investigating their working principles and the critical design aspects, using modern design and analysis tools. Fuel efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions are expected to have a strong influence on the design and operation of ships. With the arrival of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) in 2013…