Air-lubrication of a ship’s hull really does pay off with significant fuel savings. Just a few days ago NYK Line announced that trials of the Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS)  in not one, but two of its module carriers in a variety of normal operating conditions over a two-year period had been completed and confirmed an average 6% reduction in fuel consumption. Long Term Operational Trial An air-lubrication system was installed in each of twin-designed NYK-Hinode Line ocean-going vessels, the 19,800 dwt diesel-engined heavy equipment carriers ‘Yamatai’ and ‘Yamato’; the first in March 2010, and the other in the following November. MV Yamatai: Photo credit NYK Line These two ships are special heavy load carriers with roll-on, roll-off rampways for the transport of large prefabricated structures. Their propulsion system is by twin shaft CPP propellors, powered by a pair of Daihatsu 6DKM36 diesel engines, maximum rating 3.218 KW at 600/196 ... [More]

During last year’s SMM exhibition in Hamburg Wärtsilä made a presentation called Shipping Scenarios 2030 in which three different future scenarios concerning the shipping industry were shown. One scenario could be that by 2030 freshwater becomes such a valuable commodity that it is transported across the seas in large tankers to places where it is in short supply. Wärtsilä propose a futuristic design of a 150 000 dwt water carrier with a single hull construction and a streamlined deckhouse positioned amidships. Four Flettner Rotors would harness free wind energy; main propulsion would be by a whale-tail propulsion system. Power to drive the rotor and fish tail would be by multi-fuel engines and hull resistance would be reduced using an air lubrication system. [More]