Navig8 has welcomed under its ownership the Navig8 Excel, the first of six newbuild MR vessels due for delivery by 2025 from New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
According to Navig8, all six vessels are installed with an air lubrication system (ALS) from Marine Technology Solutions, and an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) to remove sulphur, otherwise known as a scrubber.
Furthermore, Navig8 employs the Shipwatch platform to oversee the performance of its ships and actively contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions through enhanced operational efficiency. Additionally, all vessels will integrate a CII monitoring system directly connected to the Shipwatch platform.
What is air lubrication in shipping?
Known as a technique already from the 19th century, air lubrication describes the deployment of a uniform carpet of air to lower the frictional resistance between the hull of a vessel and the water. This leads to a natural phenomenon called ‘shearing’, where the interaction of water and air in the air release units (ARUs) generates a carpet of microbubbles that covers the full length of the flat bottom of a vessel.
ALS technology employs a continuous stream of air bubbles to reduce friction and drag between the vessel and the water. According to Navig8, during recent sea trials of the Navig8 Excel, the ALS system resulted in proven efficiencies in fuel consumption and a power gain of 6.89% MT/day. Meanwhile, the model of EGCS fitted on the MRs has been certified to reduce sulphur emissions to below 0.1%.
These MR vessels are fully equipped with emission-reducing technologies and intelligence tools that enable the comprehensive collection and analysis of numerous data points related to our operations.
… said Gary Brocklesby, Chairman of Navig8
