European duo to develop autonomous zero-emission shortsea vessel
Belgian shipping company Zulu Associates has contracted Dutch maritime engineering firm Conoship International to develop the design of an autonomous zero-emission shortsea vessel.
PHOTO: Zulu Associates and Conoship’s autonomous zero-emission shortsea vessel concept. Conoship
The 200 TEU capacity shortsea container vessel – dubbed the Zulu Mass – will be fully electrical and powered by modular energy containers housing “batteries and/or hydrogen-based power systems,” Conoship says.
Modular energy containers consist of energy storage units housed in modular containers and can store enough electricity to propel a vessel with zero emissions.
The vessel will feature an auxiliary wind propulsion system to supplement the main electrical propulsion system. It will also analyse the feasibility of a wave propulsion system.
The Zulu Mass will be designed to be part of Maritime Autonomy System (MAS), which will enable it to operate remotely and unmanned. MAS enables a ship to operate with varying degrees of autonomy.
The concept has received an approval in principle from classification society Lloyd’s Register.
The vessel is planned to be operated by shipping company Anglo Belgian Shipping Company initially on green shipping corridors between mainland Europe and the UK.
In 2021, Belgium established a legal framework for unmanned vessel pilot projects in the North Sea.
In September, Belgium, the UK and Denmark signed an agreement to facilitate autonomous navigation that simplifies the regulatory process by eliminating the need to apply for separate permits.
By Tuhin Roy
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