Alfa Laval has collaborated with a Korean shipbuilding company by signing the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for OceanGlide installations.
The agreement is said to show growing market interest in OceanGlide as a viable solution for energy efficiency and decarbonisation. The MoU between Alfa Laval and Korean shipyard K Shipbuilding (KSB) concerns collaboration with respect to entering the Alfa Laval OceanGlide Air Lubrication System in KSB’s potential newbuilding projects such as MR and LR1 Tankers.
Through this business agreement, KSB seeks to leverage the benefits offered by OceanGlide to achieve its objective of improving a vessel’s energy efficiency, and performance by reducing the vessel’s frictional resistance while sailing by using air lubrication technology. OceanGlide serves KSB’s efficiency goals by utilising intelligent integration of fluidics with air lubrication to enhance the vessel’s propulsion power savings by up to 12%. This translates to lower fuel consumption, reduced CO2 emissions and improved EEDI, EEXI and CII compliance.
Rajiv Sarin, Head of Air Lubrication, Alfa Laval said: “We are proud to work with KBS as our business partner in Korea. This agreement signifies the market’s growing trust in Alfa Laval as a reliable partner. It also highlights the recognition of our solutions as being innovative and efficient.”
Tae-Hyun Koh, CTO, K Shipbuilding added: “OceanGlide is an innovative solution that helps improve ship operation efficiency, and we expect it to align well with our goals of developing and building competitive ships.”
OceanGlide, using fluidic technology, creates streamlined airflow sections on a vessel’s flat bottom. Each section has an independently regulated fluidic band that produces a controlled air layer. This feature ensures optimal efficiency, maximum coverage, and reduced compressor power. The system’s high efficiency in controlling air flow is considered to not only ensure an effective air layer with fewer compressors but also provide the added advantage of conveniently positioning them anywhere on board.
This technology contributes to energy conservation and enables adherence to environmental regulations, marking a step towards sustainable maritime operations.
Image: Alfa Laval OceanGlide fluidic air lubrication system
