Most ocean vessels still run on fossil fuels, accounting for over 1 billion metric tons of global greenhouse gas emissions a year. Despite incentives to promote more environmentally friendly vessels, international shipping emissions increased by 9.6 per cent from 2012 to 2018. More radical steps must be taken if the industry is to achieve the IMO target of a 50 per cent reduction in annual emissions by 2050.
Ulstein Group aims to be at the forefront of the technology development required to achieve zero-emission offshore operations by 2050. One of the most important design aspects in achieving this aim is the company's innovative hulls, including the novel TWIN X-STERN.
First TWIN X-STERN contract: Designing methanol-fuelled SOV vessel for Acta Marine
Major fuel savings
"The key advantage of the hull is its ability to stay in position. The secret lies below the waterline. TWIN X-STERN has main propeller units at each end, which provide maximum manoeuvrability," says Kamsvåg.
"The hull also provides major fuel savings; we have findings from the sister patent X-STERN, which show a reduction in power consumption of up to 60 per cent when manoeuvring stern first compared to flat transom stern."
Ulstein Group launched the ULSTEIN X-BOW® in 2004 and later leveraged this with the introduction of the X-STERN®, both of which have enjoyed great market success.
The TWIN X-STERN® was introduced in 2015 and is designed for offshore operations requiring a ship to remain in position in rough weather. This concept also included other technologies to improve operations and reduce fuel consumption, such as biomechanical W2W ramps, cranes, and a new propulsion unit concept.
Since 2015, the TWIN X-STERN concept has been developed further, and the TWIN X-STERN hull is now commercially available on a range of vessels, including vessels servicing offshore wind turbines.
"By having excellent performance in either direction, you avoid having to turn the ship to follow weather changes. This is traditionally required maybe 50 per cent of the time, depending on the operation being performed. You save an enormous amount of time by not turning the vessel. The total energy savings are significant compared to traditional hulls," says Lars Ståle Skoge, Commercial Director at Ulstein Design & Solutions.
Better comfort and safety on board
Another area where TWIN X-STERN excels is crew comfort and safety. Vessels with Ulstein's innovative hulls reduce motion in the water, avoiding the slamming from waves experienced by vessels with traditional hulls. This also extends the lifetime of onboard equipment, as it is not exposed to strong vibrations and impact.
"It's a completely different experience to be on board. It's built to operate in very strong currents and is less limited by weather conditions. TWIN X-STERN is in the same family as our other two revolutionary hulls, X-BOW and X-STERN, and provides similar benefits, just in a different set-up optimised for the offshore wind segment," says Kolbjørn Moldskred, Sales Manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions.
"Offshore wind is a major growing market. Our new hull has the potential to service more wind turbines per day than other hulls. It's optimised for exactly these types of positioning operations," he points out.
Strong demand for greener vessels
Companies that rely on ocean-going vessels are under pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. In addition to the IMO target, the European Parliament has voted for a similar reduction.
The demand for greener vessels for offshore wind farms is expected to increase with the growth of the offshore wind market, which is projected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2040.
Ulstein Group is an international group of shipbuilding, ship design and supporting companies. Founded in 1917, it is also one of Norway's largest shipbuilders.
Text: Courtesy of Innovation Norway and The Explorer.
