The Dutch Damen Shipyards Group, together with partners such as Atal Solutions, has completed the retrofitting of four bulk carriers for BAM Shipping.
The project involved the integration of a range of efficiency-enhancing technologies and is expected to significantly reduce the ships’ fuel consumption and emissions.
According to the company, this is the first time that the various solutions have been used in a single retrofit project. In order to reduce fuel consumption, the project has set five priorities: Resistance in the water, optimizing power consumption, improving propulsion, reducing emissions and lubrication systems.
Increasing efficiency
The original plan was to install solutions such as the Damen Air Cavity System (DACS) marine lubrication system, the Damen Triton IoT solution, low-friction antifouling coatings, variable frequency drives, shore power connections, LED lights, an eddy wake compensation line, CO₂ capture systems and DEX QM lubrication technology.
Overall, the project partners assumed that these measures would reduce fuel consumption by 20-25% and emissions by around 90%. However, over the course of the project, the scope was expanded to include four additional solutions to increase efficiency.
Growing scope
These include the addition of fuel additives, oil lubricant additives, a propeller coating from Hempel and the use of Nano EFX. This spray solution is applied to the engine’s air intake, ionizes the humidity and ensures optimal fuel combustion, minimizing fuel consumption, emissions and carbon deposits.
In the coming weeks, the ships will be inspected by the classification society RINA, and then the total volume of fuel savings will be confirmed. Two of the vessels are already in operation following the initial retrofit measures and are showing signs of achieving the expected efficiency targets. The fuel savings will also significantly reduce the ships’ operating costs.
Lifetime extension
The project will prepare the four bulk carriers for operation in accordance with the latest regulations, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and the Energy Efficiency Index for Existing Ships (EEXI). The work carried out will also extend the life of the vessels by an estimated twelve years.
While Damen carried out the retrofitting of the vessels, Atal Solutions arranged USD 123.7 million in financing for the project. Atal provided a supplier credit of USD 105.2 million, for which the ship owners only had to provide 15% equity and which has a repayment period of twelve years with competitive interest rates.
Open and flexible approach
“This was a very exciting project. What we have achieved here with the integration of so many different solutions for a combined result is unprecedented,” says Rutger van Dam, Business Development Manager at Damen. Of course, there were challenges along the way, but the result is successful and shows that with the right people and the right attitude, you can go a long way. “The lessons we have learned from this project will be invaluable as we continue to work towards our goal of becoming the most sustainable maritime solutions provider,” continued van Dam.
“We are very pleased with the preliminary results of this project and look forward to the class verification in the coming weeks,” emphasized Edwin Sieswerda, CEO and founder of Atal Solutions. “Then we will be able to get a clear picture of how significant the fuel savings from these measures have been. Judging by the performance of the ships already in operation, we expect a positive result.” This is due in no small part to Damen’s approach. “During the refit, we approached Damen several times with new ideas and suggestions. Each time, they listened to our concerns and found a way to implement them.”
At this point in time, there are so many unknowns surrounding the maritime energy transition. “If we are to succeed in preparing our industry for a cleaner, more sustainable future, openness to ideas and flexibility like Damen’s are crucial,” says Sieswerda.
