Feature 2 | Green Ship technoloGy
Viking Lady steals the limelight
Billed as the world’s first ever fuel cell ship Viking Lady arrived at the heart
of Copenhagen in the middle of the one of the most significant climate
conferences ever held and was displayed as a beacon of change.
A
m
eeting of minds failed to
materialise in the main event
in Copenhagen, but a COP 15
sideshow displayed how ingenuity and
design could present at least one way
forward for the shipping industry.
Although considered a research
vessel, Viking Lady is also a working ship
supplying oil platforms in the North Sea;
the ship took three days off its normal
work schedule to visit Copenhagen and to
showcase its design possibilities.
Meeting the needs of an increasingly
climate conscious world the supply vessel
has many advantages, it operates largely on
four 2mW Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
main engines and, for research purposes
has a 320kw fuel cell on deck which
is used for auxiliary power providing
heat and electrical energy for the crew
accommodation block. Viking Lady takes part in a helicopter exercise in the north Sea.
The vessel has reduced CO
2
emissions
by up to 50%, NOx, SOx and particulate
emissions have been totally eradicated then refreshed for their shifts during work and is backed by the Norwegian Research
and fuel efficiency has been improved hours. Council. All three companies came
by 30% claim the vessel’s designers and “Our staff are fighting to get onboard together in the early part of the decade
operators. this ship,” said Jan Frederik Meling, CEO with a view to producing a commercially
In addition the LNG engines give a of the vessel’s owner Eidesvik. He is proud viable ultra low emission vessel.
virtually vibration free ride onboard of Viking Lady and its achievements so far It soon became clear to the Fellowship
the vessel so that even when the ship is and he believes that the ship represents that the way forward was to use fuel
docking and the engines are run at high a solution to emission controls for some cell technology and for this purpose the
power to slow the vessel the vibration vessel types, including those that are heavy members co-opted the German fuel cell
levels are remarkably low. This benefits energy users in port, such as cruise ships. producer MTU into their fold.
the crew who can rest more easily and are In maintaining a fuel cell onboard a Fuel Cell technology is tried and tested
working ship the operator, Eidesvik, said on land. It produces electrical energy
that it will see if the fuel cell, which has through a chemical reaction that emits
Technical parTiculars an operational life of around 40,000 hours water as exhaust. To start the fuel cell
Viking Lady onshore, can be maintained at sea. currently on Viking Lady hydrogen was
“If we can prove this works, and I used, but once operational LNG is its
Delivery: ................................................ 2009 think we will, the first application will fuel.
length: ................................................92.2m be in offshore vessel engines,” explained Heating up to a maximum temperature
Width: .....................................................21m Mr Meling a founder member of the of 650°C the fuel cell can take a few days
Depth: ...................................................7.6m Fellowship which devised the building of to reach maximum power and up to two
Gross tonnage: .........................6100tonnes Viking Lady. weeks to cool down, but DNV COO Tor
Dead weight: ............................5900tonnes The Fellowship consists of three Svensson insists there are no safety issues
Berths: .......................................... 25 persons Scandinavian partners, Eidesvik the ship with the system: “We have developed
class: .................... DnV 1a1, supply Vessel operator, Wärtsilä the engine maker and new rules that ensure fuel cells are safely
Det Norske Veritas (DNV) the class society installed on ships”.
54 The Naval Architect January 2010
NA Jan 10 - p54+
56.indd 54 12/01/2010 10:04:56
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