The first ever green hydrogen and electricity-powered ship in Lithuania, commissioned by the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, has been moved from shipyard into water where it will clean other vessels entering the port, accepting waste from them.
Once the tanker is moved into the water, the engine room equipment will be installed, the interior of the wheelhouse will be redecorated, the electrical wiring and the main electrical engines and hydrogen system will be installed, and other work necessary for the operation of the ship will be carried out.
According to the current rules, vessels are obliged to hand over the waste they produce when they arrive and before they leave Klaipėda Port. The Seaport Authority was entrusted with the collection of the waste, and the company decided to use modern and environmentally friendly equipment to further improve the quality of the ship waste collection service.
The tanker’s main function is to collect storm water, sewage, sludge and garbage, as well as to ensure efficient waste management. The ship will be equipped with special tanks and a modern rainwater treatment plant that will allow the treated water to be transferred to the city’s sewage treatment plants. The tanker will be ready to work around the clock and collect up to 400 cubic metres of liquid waste.
We are proud that the portfolio of green ships being designed and built in Klaipėda has been expanded with a unique Lithuanian project. It is a testimony to the successful development of a green shipping ecosystem, with close cooperation between our port and the maritime engineering industry, which has the necessary competences and technological capabilities.
… emphasised Arnoldas Šileika, CEO of the VLG Group.
The tanker is 42 metres long and 10 metres wide. The ship’s power system will consist of two electric motors powered by 2,000 kWh batteries and an innovative hydrogen fuel cell system. Depending on the intensity of the work, the tanker will be able to operate in the port of Klaipėda for up to 36 hours without additional power charging.
This ship building project with a total value of €12 million has been commissioned by the Port Authority and is being built by West Baltic Shipyard together with Baltic Workboats under a joint operating agreement.
At the moment, the tanker is getting used to the seaport water, so to speak, and at the end of the year we expect it to start its important mission of taking care of the clean seaport environment. Such a decision will not leave a footprint on nature, but it will certainly leave a strong mark on our path to a greener future
… commented says Algis Latakas, Director General of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.
To remind, earlier this month it was announced that IMI will supply a PEM electrolyser for a hydrogen refueling station at the Port of Klaipėda in Lithuania, making it the first in the Baltic region to produce green hydrogen on-site. Developed by EPC contractor MT Group, the IMI VIVO electrolyser will enable the port, the second-largest EU port by tonnage in the Baltic, to generate 500kg of green hydrogen daily.
