[ 131 ] LEGACY Besides designing a ship as energy-efficient as possible, OSK Design — Danish naval architects of P&O Ferries’ next-generation Fusion-class — has gone the extra mile to bring added value to the design. In addition to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) mandatory Safe Return to Port (SRtP) rules, OSK Design has developed a Safe Return to Sea (SRtS) standard which will allow the ships to remain in service even after a minor SRtP incident. In short, SRtP rules apply to international passenger ships with a length of 120m or more or with three or more main vertical zones to be designed for improved survivability. SRtP means that, in the event of a fire emergency or a flood, passengers remain safely onboard without the need to evacuate as the ship proceeds to port under its own power. Although a voluntary initiative, the Safe Return to Sea standard is further proof of OSK Design’s out-of-the box thinking, with class society DNV meanwhile having adopted a Safe Return to Sea class notation. As OSK Design’s chief technical officer and co-owner, Kristian Carøe Lind, explains, “The P&O Ferries project is yet another example of OSK Design’s holistic approach, which goes way beyond the design of the ship alone. The team looks at the whole picture and has the talent to understand the business case of each vessel — all the way from the interface with the land to the onboard experience and onboard spending.” THE FUTURE FUEL DILEMMA P&O Ferries’ new diesel-battery hybrid vessels show the way forward in ferry design, especially on short-distance routes, creating a steppingstone towards full-electric operation, which is believed to be the future for many short-distance routes, providing the ferries can plug in to renewable electricity. Longer distance routes don’t warrant a full-electric solution — at least not on a conventional displacement ferry. Therefore, the multimillion-dollar question remains what fuel to burn to comply with the strict upcoming greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations. Lind is of the opinion that a diesel-electric solution with a backup plan to retrofit the engine to methanol or another clean, alternative fuel is probably still the best solution today. “Nuclear power should no longer be a taboo, while super capacitors may be a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries,” he comments. Until not too long ago, ferry operators were looking at route optimisation, taking into consideration various factors such as loading and unloading times, shallow water effects, and peak and off-peak seasons. The bottom line was to save fuel and, to a great extent, this also applies to all of the tools on the market to further improve fuel efficiency, such as silicone paint, propeller and rudder systems with improved efficiency, and air lubrication systems to reduce hull friction. “Until this very day, this has been the classic approach and the best solution to reduce fuel consumption without affecting power,” explains Lind. “ A diesel-electric solution with a backup plan to retrofit the engine to methanol or another clean, alternative fuel is probably still the best solution today” ABB Azipod controls
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=