Damen hosts LeanShips kick off meeting

CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered RSD (Reverse Stern Drive) Tug is one of eight demonstrators to be developed by LeanShips

JUNE 15, 2015 —The European Innovation Project LeanShips will get underway this week at a two day kick off at the Gorinchem, Netherlands, of Damen Shipyards Group. LeanShips – Low Energy And Near To Zero Emissions Ships – will demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of energy saving and emission reduction technologies at real scale. LeanShips is one of the first projects funded under the new European Research and Innovation Framework Program HORIZON 2020.

The project is coordinated by Damen Shipyards Group and jointly managed by the Netherlands Maritime Technology Foundation (NMT), Germany’s Center of Maritime Technologies (CMT) from Germany and Cetena, the Italian Ship Research Center.

LeanShips officially started May 1 with a grant of 17 million Euro. The large project partnership includes shipowners, shipbuilders, equipment suppliers and research institutes. In total, 46 partners (81% from industry) from 12 EU member states and one associated country are involved.

LeanShips aims to put innovations into practice by carrying out eight demonstrator show cases that combine technologies for efficient and less polluting vessels with end-users’ needs and requirements. Dedicated teams of equipment manufacturers (technology providers), shipyards (technology integrators) and shipowners (technology users) as well as regulators are committed to bringing the innovations developed to market readiness.The following eight demonstrators are part of the project:

• A CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered RSD (Reverse Stern Drive) Tug (see earlier story)
• An LNG tug
• Marine Diesel Oil (MDO) or Methanol Dual Fuel for Offshore Service Vessel
• Efficient LNG carrier
• Retrofit of short sea cargo ship (SECA) with LNG
• Inland cargo ship with large oscillating propulsor
• Large propeller for general cargo vessel
• Energy efficient PAX /cruise ships

Project target markets are small to midsized ships for intra-European waterborne transport, vessels for offshore operations and the leisure and cruise markets.

First impact estimates for LeanShips project fuel saving of up to 25%, CO2 reduction of at least 25% and an expected decrease of SOx/NOx/PM air pollutants by up to 100%.

Through their participation in the project, the LeanShips partners intend to set an example and encourage more ship owners to invest in green technologies.