Marine technology company Wartsila will co-launch the SeaTech project consortium, an initiative to build environmentally-friendly engines, after being awarded EU funding.
In a statement, Wartsila said the SeaTech project has been formed to develop two symbiotic ship engine and propulsion innovations.
The company said when the two are combined they could cut fuel consumption by 30%. In total, the project envisions sulphur oxide emissions by 99%, CO2 by 46%, as well as particulate matter by 94%.
The proposed engine power generation innovation is built around achieving ultra-high energy conversion efficiency.
It involves precise controlling of the engine to achieve radical reductions in exhaust emission levels.
The renewable energy-based propulsion innovation is a bio-mimetic dynamic wing mounted at the bow of the ship to augment propulsion in moderate and heavy sea conditions.
According to Wartsila, the return on investment for owners is expected to be approximately 400%, which will come largely from fuel and operations savings.
The company goes onto say that 32.5 million tons of CO2 could be eliminated annually with just 10% of short-sea vessels in Europe being retrofitted.
Commercialisation of the developments is anticipated to take place in the European and Asian sort-sea markets by 2025, followed thereafter by expansion into the deep-sea market.
Wartsila’s partners in the SeaTech project include Huygens Engineer BV from the Netherlands, Estonian company Liewenthal Electronics, Utkilen AS from Norway, the National Technical University of Athens, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the UK’s University of Southampton.
