Wallenius Wilhelmsen offers vision for pollution-free ocean vessel

Wallenius Wilhelmsen offers vision for pollution-free ocean vessel    Scandinavian car carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen and a team of naval architects and scientists have developed a scale model for a pollution-free roll-on/roll-off vessel.
   The vessel design, named the “E/S Orcelle,” provides zero emissions and uses no ballast water onboard.
   Wallenius Wilhelmsen officials believe this is what an environmentally friendly ro/ro ship might look like in the future. It would use a combination of renewable energy sources, including sun, wind and waves, as well as fuel cell technology, to meet all propulsion and onboard power needs.
   “In our view, renewable energy sources have the potential to provide an abundant supply of energy with minimal environmental impact and at relatively low cost,” said Lena Blomqvist, vice president of environment at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, in a statement Thursday.
   According to the company, solar energy would be harnessed through photovoltaic panels in the vessel’s three sails, which also help propel the ship using wind power. These sails are made with special lightweight composite materials.
   Wave power would be used through a series of 12 fins, which would convert wave energy into hydrogen, electricity or mechanical energy.
   Wallenius Wilhelmsen said the vessel could transport up to 10,000 cars, about 50 percent more than today’s car carriers, while having the same weight in tonnage terms. The company would use lightweight materials, such as aluminum and thermoplastic composites. The hull would also be built to eliminate the need for ballast water tanks.
   The company has no immediate plans to build a prototype of the “E/S Orcelle.” However, Wallenius Wilhelmsen said it would continue to work with others to develop the technologies used within the concept design.
   Ocean carriers are under pressure from governments and environmental groups to develop so-called “green” power technologies to curb pollution.
   Some U.S. West Coast ports are supplying vessels electric power so they no longer operate their diesel engines while docked, a process known as “cold ironing.” Last year, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines began testing a new wind power generator aboard its wood chip carrier “Taiho Maru” (For more details, read the August 2004 American Shipper, pages 86-87).