Klaveness’ CABU carrier aces first voyage with air lubrication tech

MV Ballard, an 80,500 dwt CABU combination carrier operated by Norway’s shipping company Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC), has completed its first voyage following dry dock and the installation of an air lubrication system.

As informed, the upgraded 2017-built Panamax vessel delivered and discharged caustic soda to Alcoa, Australia, earlier this week.

In late September 2023, MV Ballard became one of the first vessels within the dry bulk/tanker segment to adopt the air lubrication technology.

The system was supplied by the UK-based Silverstream Technologies which patented the hull air lubrication technology for the global shipping sector. The system uses air lubrication to reduce frictional resistance between a vessel’s hull and the water and helps vessels reduce net fuel consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions.

Following the installation of the air lubrication system in combination with shaft generator and other energy efficiency measures, KCC expects to improve fuel consumption by around 15% aboard MV Ballard.

This month, another KCC vessel is set to be equipped with the Silverstream technology. MV Baru, a 2019-built CLEANBU combination carrier, is scheduled for a Silverstream System retrofit.

The projects are part of the company’s updated environmental strategy which is targeting a 45% reduction in energy efficiency operational indicator (EEOI) by 2030 when compared to 2018 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Apart from investments in energy-efficient systems, the company plans to expand the use of sustainable biofuels, with an estimated 15% share of biofuels in the company’s fuel mix in 2030. What is more, KCC aims to phase in zero-emission fuels and vessels as part of its fleet renewal strategy, ushering in its first zero-emission vessel by the end of the decade.