Damen Shipyards embarks on bulker retrofits
The installations will rely heavily on carbon capture systems (Source: Damen Shipyards)
This year, Damen Shipyards Group is set to retrofit four BAM Shipping Handymax bulk carriers with emissions-reduction technologies, in a project funded by lender Atal Solutions.
Atal is allocating some USD 124 million for the project, and is aiming for a ten-year repayment period. Various systems will be installed on each vessel, including onboard carbon capture systems (OCCS), specialised low friction coatings, air lubrication systems, and propeller optimisation. Taken together, the companies claim, the technologies will reduce the bulkers’ emissions almost entirely.
Having proven it is possible to strip CO2 from ship exhaust, the success of OCCS devices will depend on the provision of CO2 offtake and removal services at ports. So far, these have yet to materialise.
The project is intended to act as a pilot for the decarbonisation of the bulk carrier fleet as a whole, while prioritising the most practical retrofits. “We look at real impactful solutions, easy and fast to implement, based on proven technologies, and avoid idealistic solutions,” said Atal Solutions’ founder Edwin Sieswerda recently. “Additionally, we expect increased support from the financial sector as the positive impact of our integrated solution becomes evident.”
