Flaminia back in service as eco ship

The 85,823dwt German-owned ship has been modified into what German owners Reederei NSB said was a “modern eco-ship” at the Mangalia Shipyard in Romania. Reports said the work cost US$22 million. The aim, NSB said, was to reduce fuel consumption and make the ship more efficient and economic.

She was being phased back into scheduled service for MSC after being “transformed” and “fundamentally optimised for the challenges of the current shipping market”.

NSB vice president Bozidar Petrovic explained that: “by installing a new bulbous bow and a new propeller, fuel consumption on MSC Flaminia will be considerably lower than previously”. NSB analyses “show that under ideal conditions 12% of fuel can be saved due to these two modifications alone”, he added. Mr Petrovic, who led the repair and modification team at Mangalia, said eco-design meant that “older ships can compete with the efficiency of modern vessels”.

The optimised bulbous bow refit and other retrofit modifications took place parallel to the repairs. The middle sections of the vessel were completely exchanged, electrics overhauled and major parts of the superstructure renovated.

NSB, a ship management and charter company, has a fleet of 68 ships. Earlier this year it reported the installation of an optimised bulbous bow on its charter ship CMA CGM Hugo. It now reports a further potential for optimisation as a result of low speed through the use of a turbocharger cut-out, which it said has been installed on many NSB ships since 2013.

MSC Flaminia

caught fire in the Atlantic in 2012. The accident left two people dead and a third missing. She was towed to Wilhelmshaven.