Asia/Pacific News
Fortified Anti-Piracy Ship Design Lowers Bunker Bills
Japanese ship builder Imabari Shipbuilding Group (Imabari) has designed a ship superstructure which it says reduces bunker fuel usage by 2%.
The so called 'Aero-Citadel' will also provide refuge for its crew during a pirate attack.
The design combines the ship's accommodation, engine room, and funnel casing into a slim, energy efficient streamlined shape.
In wind tunnel testing, wind pressure during navigation was shown to be reduced by between 25 and 30% which the company says will save about 2% in the fuel consumption of a Capesize bulk carrier travelling at "normal output of about 9 meters per second", or 17.5 kts, in a Beaufort force 5 head wind.
Imabari says the slimline design also makes it easier to turn the bow of the ship to windward while at anchor, decreasing the risk of anchor dragging.
Other energy saving features of the design include the use of LED lighting in the accommodation and engine room, reducing electric power consumption used for lighting by about 50%.
Anti-piracy measures built into the design include placing all stairs on the inside of the superstructure with thicker, reinforced steel doors on the lower level, and bulletproof windows in the accommodation area, the entrance of which is also fortified by upper deck water cannons.
Panic Room
The design also incorporates a "panic room," a fortified refuge area protected by double-layer security doors which can accommodate all of the vessel's crew members for several days in the event of an attack.
The space doubles as a mini control centre equipped with communication devices, ship maneuvering equipments, plus video and sound capture devices.
Design of crew accommodation also meets Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 2006 requirements (SOLAS MLC2006), the proposed legislation currently having been ratified by 26 of a required 30 states.
The SOLAS MLC2006 features include strengthened noise insulation and vibration counter measures with what the company describe as overall improved living conditions for crew members, as well as a widened backward view in the wheelhouse safer navigation.
According to their website, the Imabari Shipbuilding Group specializes in constructing and repairing a wide range of ships with over 90 ships being constructed annually through 3 business offices and 8 shipyards concentrated in the Seto Inland Sea region of Japan.
