Japan’s Kumiai Navigation is hoping to cut its bunker bill by retrofitting a VLGC with a fluidic air lubrication system.
The company has selected Alfa Laval’s OceanGlide kit, the first time it will have been used on an LPG carrier.
The two companies believe the retrofit will improve the overall performance and help comply with environmental regulations.
Alfa Laval said the system is easy to install, “with minimal hull penetrations”.
OceanGlide generates an even, controllable air layer across a vessel’s entire flat hull bottom, reducing friction and drag.
Each layer has its own fluidic band. These can be independently adjusted to create a more controlled air flow.
Energy expenditure is minimised because there are few compressors and the bands add almost no drag when switched off, the company said.
“By decreasing the vessel’s resistance, OceanGlide offers a proven method for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,” Alfa Laval added.
The manufacturer claims OceanGlide is proven to reduce specific drag by between 50% and 75%, providing “reliable” fuel savings of up to 12%.
But the actual amount achieved can vary depending on vessel operations and operator priorities, it added.
‘One of the best solutions’
Tomo Kuroyanagi, managing director of Kumiai Navigation, said: “In these challenging times, we recognise that reliable partners such as Alfa Laval, are needed to achieve our sustainability goals.
“We want to invest in green shipping practices to help us lower our power consumption and comply with upcoming environmental regulations. In this effort, OceanGlide fluidic air lubrication is currently one of the best available solutions that offer remarkable gains in improving vessel performance and meeting our environmental targets.”
