There are plenty of benefits when a conventional tanker uses the Orca Tank Technology, according to Martijn van denPoppelen, Head Ship Development in Koole Engineering, who talked about this technology during an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA at Europort, Rotterdam in early November.
Mr. van denPoppelen explained how this technology makes it feasible to build a chemical tanker with independent cargo tanks for about the same costs, while having the same capacities as a conventional tanker.
“The ORCA technology can improve the number of trips. Using the technology, a ship can make 40% more trips. Also contamination is impossible and you can save energy because of the insolation. Furthermore, ORCA enables the fast tank cleaning, something that can save valuable time.”
As explained, the ORCA Tank Technology can provide the following results to a vessel:
- 85% reduction in fuel costs for heating
- 50% reduction in fuel and water consumption for washing
- 75% reduction in washing time
- 35% reduction of Duplex steel usage and the possibility to reuse the tanks
Up until now, a chemical tanker with independent cargo tanks has been unfeasible. This technology brings the many advantages of an independent cargo tank within reach of the ship owner, while leaving behind the many disadvantages of the conventional parcel tanker. This is the main difference that ORCA provides, Mr. van denPoppelen highlighted.
“In conventional tankers, the tanks are adjacent to each other or to a ballast system. This can cause contamination to the tanks, heat loss and can make the cleaning of the tanks very difficult. While on the independent tanks project, the tanks are insulated, the tanks heats up individually and its cleaning can be done fast, thus saving time and energy,” Martijn van denPoppelen commented.
The results that ORCA produces are not theoretical. The technology has been used in a vessel that was launched in 2009 and according to Mr. van denPoppelen the ship is doing 100 trips a year while the competitors do 70 trips a year. This fact gives huge advancements to ships using the ORCA technology, compared to conventional tankers.
Concluding, Mr. Martijn van denPoppelen added: “Koole wants to do more for shipping and the ORCA technology is a part of this attempt. You can save 85% on heating and 50% on energy, something that makes the ships using ORCA much better than the conventional tankers.”
Koole Engineering has expertise in ship development and silo and tank engineering and its innovation recently became commercially available following an Approval in Principal from Bureau Veritas. In October, his company was invited to present Orca Tank Technology at IMO in London as one innovative solution to the persistent floater problem.
