Sustainability Infuses Short-Sea Project

Following delivery passage from China via South Korea, the 4,200dwt Wilson Flex I has engaged in intra-European trade, giving effect to a design blend of multi-purpose cargo carrying capability, raised efficiency and high environmental standard.

Reckoned to offer fuel savings of about 20% relative to comparable capacity vessels of conventional type, the Hanse Eco generation is IMO Tier III compliant and incorporates a raft of features that reflect the thought given to long-term ecological as well as economic competitiveness.

The 89m Wilson Flex I leads a series of five newbuilds ordered from Dayang Offshore Equipment Co in Jiangsu Province by the German joint venture company Rhenus-Arkon-Shipinvest (RHAS). The vessel’s name bears out the agreement struck in 2020 by RHAS shareholder Arkon Shipping with the leading Norwegian short-sea player, Wilson ASA. The Bergen-based operator secured around 20 vessels on long-term lease from Arkon, including the nascent Hanse Eco flotilla.

Interpreting the shipowner’s concept, the design was delivered by Dutch consultancy Groot Ship Design. The bridge and accommodation are arranged forward and the funnel casing is positioned on the port quarter, giving a long, unobstructed weatherdeck with flush hatch covers reinforced to accept deck cargoes. The single hold can be subdivided using up to three movable grain bulkheads, which also function to create a half tweendeck.

The vessel is certified for ‘open-top’ sailing, enabling outsized freight to be loaded, including wind turbine components and other structures. The NAABA accreditation within the array of DNV notations confirms the ship’s ability to take the ground when loading or unloading at tidal berths.

Main propulsion is provided by a six-cylinder DZC four-stroke, medium-speed unit from ABC Engines at Ghent, yielding 1,333kW at 1,000rpm. The installation incorporates a selective catalytic reduction(SCR) system, to meet Tier III criteria. The shaft generator is of permanent magnet type, and can be energised from the auxiliary gensets to serve as an electric motor, delivering boost or emergency power to the main shaftline in PTI mode.

Arkon Shipping’s Torsten Westphal, the driving force behind the Hanse Eco concept and programme, said “Now that Wilson Flex I has been handed over, we have taken a significant step along the way to having a sustainable fleet. We’re setting a particularly high standard in this project and it is definitely historic for European shipping.”

MAIN PARTICULARS – Wilson Flex I