It is one of Germany’s most unusual ships
One of Germany’s most unusual ships, the 12,800dwt E-Ship 1, has sailed through the Kiel Canal for the first time adding the Baltic to her areas of operation.
The 130m ship used the waterway, linking the North Sea and the Baltic, on her way to Klaipeda in Lithuania from Emden. She was carrying a cargo of wind energy rotors for owners Enercon.
E-Ship 1 is unusual because of her four 27m high and 4m diameter Flettner rotors and Magnus Effect propulsion. She is also unusual because she was built at two German shipyards. She sailed for the first time last year after completion at Cassens Shipyard in Emden but was designed by owners Enercon in partnership with Lindenau Schiffswerft in Kiel, where her keel was laid in 2007. Enercon moved the largely finished hull to Emden in 2009 after insolvency trouble at Lindenau.
Reports say E-Ship 1 is equipped with Mitsubishi marine diesels with a total output of 3.5MW, but Enercon has not released exact details of her propulsion system. The firm does however claim projected fuel savings with the rotors of 30-40% at a speed of 16knots.
Source: The Motorship
