Silverstream retrofits LNG carrier with air lubrication system

UK-based Silverstream Technologies has retrofitted a 174,000-cbm LNG carrier with its air lubrication system at Seatrium’s shipyard in Singapore.

PHOTO: LNG carrier. Getty Images

Air lubrication system is an energy efficiency measure that uses air from air release units (ARUs) in the hull to generate air bubbles that run continuously beneath the ship’s surface, forming a coat of air that reduces friction significantly.

Depending on the ship’s type and class, Silverstream Technologies claims its system can reduce “average net fuel consumption and GHG emissions by 5-10%”.

It has not specified whether the LNG carrier is powered by LNG or conventional fossil fuels.

Shipowners and operators opt for air lubrication system on vessels as an energy efficiency measure to improve their fleet's Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating and comply with the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI).

The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) CII regulation is a measure of how efficiently a ship transports goods or passengers. It is expressed in grams of CO2 emitted per mt of cargo and nautical mile. The ship is then rated every year from A to E (A being the highest). The rating criteria will become stricter by 2030.

According to UK-based University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS), vessels’ CII ratings can be enhanced by implementing operational measures like ship maintenance, waste-heat recovery and retrofits to improve energy efficiency.

Industry non-profit Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) has advised shipowners to ramp up energy efficiency measures onboard vessels to reduce near-term green transition costs.

By Konica Bhatt

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