CLdN, Wärtsilä develop design for hybrid RoRo newbuilds

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and Luxembourg-based logistics provider CLdN have jointly developed a hybrid design for two new roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels.

The propulsion arrangement is such that the ships can operate as gas/diesel-mechanical vessel now, or in the future as gas/diesel-electric vessel.

Ordered by CLdN in February this year, the vessels are being built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea.

The Wärtsilä hybrid system includes energy storage systems, two large PTO/PTI generators and electric motors, multidrive converters, and the Wärtsilä Energy Management System that controls and optimises the hybrid operations.

As explained, the solution will enable the ships’ CO2 emissions to be minimised, thereby supporting the marine sector’s decarbonisation ambitions.

“Our aim is to be flexible with regard to future technological developments, which is why we have worked on the development of these new vessels with Wärtsilä,” Gary Walker, COO Shipping at CLdN, commented.

“Decarbonisation is a central issue for shipping today, which means that vessel designs need drastic re-thinking. It’s not always clear, however, what these changes should involve, so we at Wärtsilä have for some time now been recommending that built-in flexibility in the propulsion train should be a priority. Together with CLdN, with these vessels we are showcasing what is today both possible and meaningful,” Torsten Bûssow, Director Ship Electrification Solutions at Wärtsilä, said.

The two 234-metre-long vessels will each feature 8,000 lane metres of cargo space. They are part of CLdN’s fleet renewal programme aimed at ‘drastically’ reducing emissions.

The ships are scheduled to be delivered in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, and will operate on CLdN’s European network.

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