LNG-fueled ferries will feature Rolls-Royce hybrid shaft generator

Four LNG-fueled ferries to be built for the Norwegian operator Torghatten Nord AS at Poland’s Remontawa shipyard will be the first ships to feature the Rolls-Royce Hybrid Shaft Generator (HSG), which produces electrical power with reduced fuel consumption and emissions. They will also include lean-burn Rolls-Royce Bergen gas engines and the company’s integrated propeller and rudder system (Promas) that reduces drag and increases thrust.

Rolls-Royce says these technologies will combine to offer an unrivaled environmental performance, including a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, compared to conventional vessels.

Oddbjørn Eliassen, Rolls-Royce, President – Merchant said: “Rolls-Royce is a global leader in the supply of energy efficient technologies which enable ship operators to address the environmental challenges they face. These ferries will combine a range of cutting edge technologies to deliver significant improvements in fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions.”

HSG is an advanced electrical system that, says Rolls-Royce, enables a step-change in ship efficiency by varying engine and propeller speed to reduce fuel consumption and consequently lower emissions. Ships’ engines traditionally operate at a fixed speed when conventional shaft generators are in use, but HSG allows shaft speed to be reduced, while maintaining a constant frequency for the electrical supply throughout the ship.

These ferries will serve two routes across Vestfjorden in Lofoten in the north of Norway, a stretch of water known for its harsh conditions. They are scheduled for delivery from Remontowa in Gdansk, Poland in the second half of 2012.

February 4, 2011