New Feederships Host Carbon Capture

The lead vessel in the 19,750dwt series is nearing completion at Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry’s premises in Shandong Province, northeast China, and the subsequent newbuilds are expected to be handed over in quick succession through the remaining months of 2023.

The initial shipbuilding contract encompassing three vessels was awarded by Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement in association with compatriot ARKONA Allied Container (AAC) in June 2021, and the programme was augmented at the beginning of 2022 by a fourth newbuild. It is understood that the project has commanded a per-ship price of about $30m and that the agreement with Rotterdam-based BG Freight Line, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK company Peel Ports, covers a 10-year term in each case.

The gearless design has provision for up to 378 reefer units within the payload, and offers a competitive deadweight/slot ratio, implicit in the scope for 1,120TEU on the basis of a 14t homogeneous load factor (HLF). Added trading flexibility is conferred through construction to ice class 1A standard.

To meet the exacting demands of year-round liner-type operation in northern waters, and to better ensure schedule recovery in the event of weather or port delays, the primary power concentration is sized for a speed of 18.5 knots.

Each ship has been specified with an emission-reducing Filtree Systems solution engineered and supplied by Dutch company Value Maritime and including the Clean Loop System and 30% carbon capture. Installation will take place at Value Maritime’s waterside facility in Rotterdam after the delivery voyage from China.

The innovative technology encapsulated filters sulphur and CO₂, plus a claimed 99% of ultra-fine particulate matter (PM), from the vessel’s exhaust stream. By such means, the charterer will achieve a substantial cut emissions while continuing to use high-sulphur content fuel oil, thereby meeting both efficiency and environmental goals. The anticipated reduction in running costs and the overall maintenance requirement promises a rapid return on investment.

With the Clean Loop mechanism, the system is also able to filter oil residues and PM from its own wash water, giving the latter a neutral pH value. A CO₂ capture and storage system also figures in the Filtree application. CO₂ in the exhaust is recovered to charge what is dubbed as a CO₂ battery set, which retains the gas for discharge ashore and use in the agricultural industry and other sectors. Batteries are then returned to the ship for recharging with CO₂ produced on voyage, making for a 100% circular solution.

BG Freight Line has experience of Value Maritime’s offering, having nominated Filtree Systems with carbon capture in 2022 for two existing members of the fleet, the 804TEU sisters BG Onyx and BG Ruby.

The operator’s previous phase of fleet development entailing newbuild tonnage saw the introduction in 2018 of four 1,004TEU vessels of the BG Diamond series under long-term charter contracts. The quartet had been commissioned from Zhoushan Changhong International by ARKON Shipping, located at the German riverside town of Haren-on-Ems.

ARKON Shipping and Allied Feederships Chartering, together with established shipowners, founded Hamburg-domiciled broking house ARKONA Allied Container (AAC) in 2018. AAC lists the incoming vessels for BG Freight Line deployment as BG Orange, BG Green, BG Blue, and BG Red.