Delivery of ‘ Aquila’: left to right: Zhuang Tian, LR surveyor in charge Nantong; Master - M/V Aquila; Tae-Bok Kwak, LR project manager; Xiaofeng Yang, LR site office team leader

Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry has delivered a new dry bulk carrier capable of fuel savings of up to 14%.

The 57,000 dwt Aquila, delivered to its owner Delphin, is incorporated with the Mewis Duct, a propulsion improvement device for ships. The duct is able to reduce power requirement by improving water inflow toward the propeller to achieve higher overall propulsion efficiency.

A bulk carrier running at 14 knots per hour would have exhausted 29.4 metric tonnes of bunker fuel without the Mewis Duct. Installation of the device would allow the bulker to burn 26 metric tonnes of fuel at the same speed.

The Aquila, first in a new series of Supramax designs, has been delivered in China. The efficiency improvements have been achieved by carrying out a number of straightforward – but effective – changes including: de-rating the main engine, a new propeller design which has been optimised for the de-rated engine, and fitting a mewis duct.
 
The daily main engine consumption at a speed of 14 knots at ballast draught, which would have been about 29.4 tonnes, is now about 26 tonnes and the daily main engine consumption at a speed of 13.5 knots at design draught, which would have been about 29.8 tonnes daily, is now about 26.30 tonnes. The engine’s output has been reduced by nearly 1,000kW to 8,500kW.
 
Commenting on the delivery, Meng Cheng Jun, president of the Jiangsu Hantong Group, said that: “This vessel is the 55th vessel to be delivered since the establishment of our Hantong shipyard, and also the first vessel with the optimised design to be delivered. Based on the SDARI design, Hantong completed the design optimisation and the tank test independently, which also brings us the patent right of our own part. Hantong is taking note of the market environment requests and listening to the owners’ needs on vessels, now therefore, Hantong will keep on strengthening the optimisations of our vessels, and is endeavouring in building the vessels to be eco-friendly and more fuel efficient than previous ones, for our honourable clients.”