The EU-funded CHEK project is evaluating the interaction between multiple energy saving devices when installed on a bulk carrier and a cruise ship, and modelling as part of the project is now able to put some numbers on the gains that can be expected for the vessels.

The CHEK project is targeting long-distance shipping with its evaluation of multiple decarbonisation solutions combined on a single vessel. The project, while aiming to inform both newbuild and retrofit, has specifically involved the design of a wind energy optimised bulk carrier and a hydrogen powered cruise ship. The aim of the designs is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99%, achieve 40-50% energy savings and reduce black carbon emissions by over 95% compared to a typical existing, EEDI phase 2 compliant reference vessels.

The three-year project started in June 2021 with project partners include BAR Technologies, Cargill, Climeon, Deltamarin, Hasytec Group, Lloyd’s Register, MSC, Silverstream Technologies, University of Vaasa, Wärtsilä, World Maritime University and Yara Marine Technologies.

A future-proof vessel design platform is being developed by Deltamarin to evaluate how multiple energy saving devices can be combined to maximise efficiency, firstly for the two vessels and then in the future for other vessel types. The modelling includes the interactions between systems and the environment and is being developed across three generations: digital prototype, digital master, and finally digital twins of the vessels. Operational reference data from existing ships, bulker carrier Pyxis Ocean and cruise vessel MSC Meraviglia has been fed to all the model generations, but during the digital twin phase, measured data from the various energy saving devices is received for making the digital models even more accurate.