EMEA News
Delphin Takes Delivery of Fuel Saving Bulk Carrier
Greek dry bulk owner/ operator Delphin Shipping LLC (Delphin) has taken delivery of a bunker bill busting bulk carrier, Lloyd's Register (LR), who supervised the design appraisal, build, and sea trials, have reported.
Based on a Chinese design by the Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI), the vessel is said to use 14% less fuel than similar vessels of its class, type, and size with consumption falling from 29.4 tonnes to 26 tonnes at a speed of 14 knots.
The 57,000 dwt supramax Aquila was built for New York-based Delphin at Chinese shipyard Jiangsu Hantong and is the first in a series of ships.
It features an engine output which has been reduced by almost 1,000 kW to 8,500 kW, and a Becker Marine Systems' (Becker) Mewis duct, a device that saves power by reducing rotational losses in the propeller slipstream.
Designed for slower vessels, Becker says the Mewis Duct provides savings at a given speed or, alternatively, allows the vessel to travel faster at a given power level.
Speaking on delivery day, LR quoted Nick Brown, Lloyd's Register's Area General Manager and Marine Manager for Greater China, as saying "Emissions regulation and higher energy prices are the two leading factors changing our industry."
"New technologies and innovation will play a vital role in the immediate and long-term future of shipping. This new ship is evidence of the shift towards new eco designs," he added.
In April, Ship & Bunker reported Becker had delivered its largest ever Mewis Duct which recorded a 5% fuel saving on a VLCC.
