A large container vessel owned by A.P. Moller – Maersk is to be equipped with the Silverstream Air Lubrication System to assess its fuel reduction capabilities, under a trial project being coordinated by Wärtsilä.
The trial will examine possible improvements to the ship’s overall efficiency through adoption of the technology, focusing on the reduction of fuel consumption and associated emission levels.
The programme will also have an emphasis on the potential application of the system for methanol-fuelled Maersk vessels.
“Everything that we do today inevitably sets the future for coming generations, so we need to act in a positive way to ensure that decarbonising vessel propulsion is an effective priority for the industry,” said Bernd Bertram, Vice President, Propulsion, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
“This is a view that is shared by Maersk, a company with whom we have worked closely for many years. Silverstream’s Air Lubrication System is an important stepping stone along this path.”
Silverstream’s Air Lubrication System creates a carpet of microbubbles that coat the flat bottom of the vessel. This carpet reduces frictional resistance between the hull and the water. The technology is not weather dependent and does not constrain or negatively impact the normal operational profile of the vessel.
The equipment will be delivered during the second quarter of 2022.
