DK Group installs Air Cavity System
SHIPPING: ACS is to install its pioneering ACS air lubrication technology on a 12,580 DWT multipurpose vessel owned by Danish shipowner and ship management company Dannebrog Group.
“Our decision to install DK Group’s Air Cavity System onto one of our newbuild, multi-purpose vessel reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainability as well as the future vision for our fleet. We believe that we have a responsibility to the environment as well as to implement a strategy that mitigates our exposure to rising bunker fuel prices. With a mixed fleet of 17 vessels within the Dannebrog Group of companies, including ro-ro, containers, cargo, heavy lift, products and chemical tankers, today’s announcement reflects our long-held tradition of delivering for customers through innovative and sustainable solutions that meet regulations, reduce fuel consumption and decrease environmental impact”, says Johan Wedell-Wedellsborg, Chairman of Dannebrog Group.
The deal marks the first time that DK Group’s patented air lubrication technology has been installed on an international commercial vessel, and represents significant progression in the adoption of clean technology within the shipping industry.
The Air Cavity System uses air bubbles in the boundary layer of the vessel to reduce frictional resistance between the water and the hull surface. The fuel efficiency generated by ACS will be up to 10% and will depend on vessel type and size. The investment payback period will range between 18 months and 3 years.
Sea trials will be conducted by hydrodynamic research company HSVA and overseen by classification society Germanischer-Lloyd both pre and post-conversion to establish and benchmark relative fuel consumption and the associated emission profile. The Air Cavity System will be retrofitted onto a 12,580 DWT multipurpose heavy lift vessel in Q3 2012, before potentially being rolled out across a fleet of six sister vessels.
“Dannebrog Group’s retrofit of the Air Cavity System is a landmark moment for the adoption of clean technology, and specifically air lubrication, into the mainstream shipping market. We have seen increased interest in the shipping industry to adopt innovative, high impact, marine clean technology due to impending regulation and ongoing commercial pressures to increase efficiency and reduce operational costs. Today’s announcement underscores the exceptional opportunity for the profitable implementation of clean technology solutions that can deliver genuine savings at a time when the industry needs it most”, says Noah Silberschmidt, Managing Director at DK Group.
Source: DK Group / maritimedanmark.dk
