LDA Kicks off Construction of Wind-Assisted RoRo Ships for Airbus

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  • First Low-Carbon RoRo Vessel Steel Cutting Ceremony Held at Wuchang Shipyard
  • LDA’s New RoRo Vessels to Feature Wind-Assisted Propulsion and Methanol Engines
  • Airbus Partners with LDA for Three Low-Emission RoRo Vessels Set for 2026 Operations

A milestone for French maritime group Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, its first low-carbon roll-on/roll-off RoRo vessel is reportedly set to be chartered by European aerospace group Airbus. Steel cutting ceremony of the first of three innovative vessels was held at CSSC Group’s Wuchang Shipyard in China on October 24.

Special Features of Low-Carbon Vessels

For every 167-meter RoRo vessel, modern technologies will be incorporated it to enhance sustainability, and among them are the following:

  1. Wind-Assisted Propulsion: Six rotor sails from Norsepower will be incorporated into the vessels.
  2. Dual-Fuel Methanol Engines: Wärtsilä will provide the engines for the vessels to attain higher flexibility in fuel usage.
  3. Waste Heat Conversion System: The system will contribute to the enhancement of energy efficiency overall.

Operational Plans and Capacity

These RoRo ships are due to start operation in 2026 and are exclusively ordered for the transportation of Airbus aircraft subassemblies. With a capacity to carry around seventy 40-foot containers in addition to six single-aisle aircraft subassembly sets, the ships would be much larger in cargo-carrying capacity compared to what is available currently.

Background: Airbus Contract and Fleet Renewal

In October 2023, Airbus commanded LDA to upgrade its chartered fleet by ordering three low-emission RoRo vessels, which will be wind-assisted propulsion. Subsequently, LDA awarded the order for construction to CSSC Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group.

Environmental Objectives and Design Solutions

The vessel has been designed by Deltamarin to reduce the consumption of fuel and CO2 emissions by half during the transatlantic voyages by 2030 from the base year 2023.

Hybrid Propulsion Solution

Berg Propulsion to deliver hybrid propulsion solution for all three new wind-assisted RoRo vessels Propulsion provider to decrease environmental footprint.

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Source: Offshore Energy