2004-Built Box Ships Get Double Bunker Saving Upgrades

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday May 27, 2016

Two Danaos Shipping Co. Ltd. (Danaos) container vessels, the 8,500 TEU CSCL Europe and CSCL America, are set to receive double bunker saving upgrades.

Both 2004-build box ships are set to be upgraded with fixed pitch Kappel propellers with bunker-saving boss caps with fins, as well as getting a rebuild of their bulbous bows.

The boss caps work by breaking up the hub vortex generated behind the rotating propeller, and MAN Diesel & Turbo, who has won the order to supply Danaos with the upgrades, say they expect the device to provide 6 percent bunker savings.

The bulbous bow rebuild is expected to reduce fuel consumption by more than 15 percent, compared to the vessels' performance upon delivery in 2004.

Meanwhile, the vessels are also set to receive Engine-Power Limitation (EPL) packages that MAN Diesel & Turbo says are "a simple way of reducing the power output of the engine by changing the governor settings," adding that this too will contribute to a reduction in bunker consumption.

"At Danaos we look forward to have the vessels upgraded. Our R&D Department has conducted very thorough investigations before concluding what the right upgrade solutions for these vessels are and we are confident that the vessels will be highly competitive in the market once upgraded," said Dimitrios Vastarouchas, Technical Director & Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Danaos.

MAN Diesel & Turbo says the upgrades to Danaos' two ships make them among the most competitive mid-size vessels in the container market.

In April, MAN said it estimates that design updates to tankers and bulk carriers to accommodate even larger propellers, in conjunction with even lower speed engines, should give bunker savings of some 4-7 percent along with a similar reduction in CO2 emissions.