Norwegian coastal ships win Motorship Award

The project – showing the introduction of increasingly advanced energy-saving technologies across a series of multipurpose coastal vessels – received the most votes by conference delegates out of four nominations shortlisted by an expert panel that included ship owners, ship owner associations and technology providers.

The final vessel, OV Ryvingen, is currently on sea trials. It features a six-cylinder medium-speed engine with an innovative dual-generator configuration as well as a 3MWh battery system – a long way from the four high-speed diesel engines driving the original vessels. Other installed technologies include permanent magnet thrusters and a DC distribution system. It is expected that the vessel will achieve CO2 emissions reductions of more than 35% compared to the original vessels, with engine running hours slashed by 86%.

The Motorship editor Gavin Lipsith, who chaired the shortlisting panel, said: “The panel was impressed by the way the concept was developed step-by-step towards a fourth vessel that is truly innovative and with clear environmental and energy efficiencies. It is a notable success for the companies involved that this coastal vessel was recognised by delegates to a conference that often focuses on deep-sea shipping.”

Other nominated projects included the impressive collaboration between WinGD, GTT and Wärtsilä in developing LNG systems for the first dual-fuelled ultra-large containerships, ordered last year by CMA CGM. Innovative powering arrangements enabled by permanent magnet shaft generator technology developed by WE Tech and a new way of creating water-in-fuel emulsions by TecnoVeritas were also presented.

The Motorship Award was launched to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of The Motorship’s annual conference. It aims to recognise innovative, partnership-driven projects that offer scalable emissions reductions in shipping.

The award was presented on the second day of The Motorship’s Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference, which took place at the Empire Riverside Hotel in Hamburg this week. Next year’s event will take place at the same venue on 19-21 November 2019.