By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Rolls-Royce Marine Engineering and Technology division’s Blue Ocean Team develops new ship and propulsion concepts, technologies and solutions. The team has developed two concept studies aimed at a typical ferry route, following two very different designs to allow for the needs of ferry operators with widely differing budgets and working practices.
One (Clear Blue) is a based on a minimalistic design approach with low construction costs and affordable fuel consumption. The other (Dynamic Blue) lowers operational costs by using high-end technology to build a top-of-the- range ship that prioritises the passenger experience and boosts onboard revenue generation. Both systems comply with Safe Return to Port (SRtP) principles.
The actual designs based on these two concepts will be developed in close cooperation with customers to tailor the vessel to operators’ routes, traffic profiles and preferences. Innovation is also a key part of the process.
Team leader Esa Jokioinen explains: “We would like to challenge the traditional thinking and way of designing ships. Here we have developed two concepts with completely different design approaches and as a conclusion we can see that there is potential room for both of these in the market. There is not one single solution which would universally match the market requirements and these concepts showcase some fresh ideas both for simple and high end technologies.”
While the Clear Blue ship will cost approximately 22% less to build than Dynamic Blue, the latter model has the lowest lifecycle costs over a longer period and boasts 45% cheaper fuel costs when in operation.
This article appeared in the Spring/Summer 2014 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read the full article, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.