June 2017
Cuts time spent in dock from weeks to days
Damen Green Solutions (DGS) in partnership with Damen
Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) and AEC Maritime is trialling
a new technique for retrofitting scrubbers. Designated the Modular Approach, this
new process is designed to cut the time that a vessel typically needs to spend
in dock from two or more weeks to just a few days. This dramatic reduction in
downtime, in combination with a more cost-efficient, certified scrubber, will
be welcomed by ship owners and operators. The first installation of this type is
already underway for the RoRo cargo vessel Stena
Scotia.
The
key to achieving this sharp fall in downtime for the vessel is maximising the
amount of preparatory and manufacturing work that can be completed before the
vessel arrives in the dock. This happens in two parallel processes. In one of
these, the scrubbers and their supporting systems are fitted into two
prefabricated modules while still in the workshop. The first module contains the scrubber plus all the necessary piping and
electronics. The second houses all the auxiliary equipment including the pumps,
heat exchanger and separators. These can then be
tested and optimised in advance of the actual installation.
At
the same time, preparatory works are undertaken on board the vessel at times
agreed with the ship that do not interfere with its scheduled operations. In the case of the Stena Scotia, the preparations on board, including steelwork and
pipe-fitting, will take place over a number of weekends during routine
overnight stopovers.
The
result of the prefabrication process plus preparation works means that when the
ship does finally arrive at a Damen yard, the technical team can focus on the
final stage of the retrofit process; attaching and linking up the two, fully
operational modules to a ship that is ready and prepared to receive them. This last
stage represents the third module of the operation.
Damen
Green Solutions, the arm of the Damen Shipyards Group responsible for developing
and implementing low-emissions and environmentally-friendly solutions, has
oversight of the entire process including commissioning and training. It does
this in close coordination with Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) and, in
the case of Stena Scotia, Damen
Shiprepair Rotterdam.
“With
the need to access the vessel during its regular operations to undertake the
preparations, it is vital to work very closely with the owner and crew to make
the hours available as productive as possible,” says project manager Stef
Loffeld. “Fortunately, DSC’s Harbour & Voyage teams are expert at working
efficiently and unobtrusively when a ship is still in an operational mode. We
also cooperate closely in the engineering phase with AEC, the suppliers of the
scrubbing systems, to optimise the installation of the various components for
maximum efficiency and operability. The result is a fast and effective
installation with minimum downtime.”
Marcel
Karsijns, Director of Damen Green Solutions, commented: “The combination of
AEC’s simple yet effective scrubbers and Damen’s innovative installation
approach significantly reduces up-front costs and reduces the payback period of
the investment. We expect this solution to receive strong support in the
market.”
Jurriën de Vries, sales director of AEC Maritime, concluded;
“The close co-operation between Damen and AEC has resulted in this new modular
approach for retrofitting SOx scrubbers. This is yet another example of the AEC
philosophy; ‘SOx scrubbing made simple’.”