NEW AFRAMAX TANKER DESIGN BY WÄRTSILÄ

A new tanker design to meet emissions legislation

Lately, new emissions legislation has created a real buzz and initiated a small revolution in the maritime world. We’ve started seeing new projects emerging. Some can be pretty bold and radical, others are more moderate but still represent serious steps toward what big ships might look like in the future. That’s the case with Finnish Wärtsilä Ship Design’s new Aframax Tanker Design. This tanker is innovative thanks to its new Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) optimized double hull that offers less resistance to the water and higher efficiency. A cylindrical bow allows for better manipulation, even in rough weather conditions.

But the hull isn’t the only aspect that makes this boat ecologically innovative. A new high performance 2-stroke X62 main engine can reduce the fuel consumption by 7% while reaching the same speed using one less cylinder. On top of that comes an integrated exhaust gas scrubber that has been placed on the funnel and connected to the engines, hence reducing sulphur oxide emissions. Finally, a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system has been placed before the turbocharger turbine for the main engine. This last part allows an optimized combustion, while reducing nitrogen oxides emissions by more than 90%. A lot of science for a more sustainable result.