what’s next
Demands for eco credentials
grow in popularity
A Turkish team has been
highlighting the merits of its Volitan
hull with solar-powered sails, while
Fjellstrand has just delivered the
34m catamaran Miljødronningen to
the Green Warriors of Norway
by Dag Pike
In the true spirit of green operations there
is an increasing focus on the use of solar
power. A 14m solar-powered boat has made
the first solar crossing of the Atlantic and
numerous small passenger boats operating on
rivers, canals and lakes use only solar power.
Now a Turkish team has developed designs for
a revolutionary solar-powered vessel designed
to operate in winds of up to 60 knots, making
it a true sea-going craft
The Volitan hull is 33m long and has two
‘wings’ angled up at 45deg. These wings are
covered with solar panels to harness the sun’s
power, but they also act as sails to harness
wind power. A long thin hull has been
designed for efficiency and it is supported
on two underwater angled fins that generate
lift. Electric propulsion motors are contained
at the extremities of these fins. Both the
above and below water fins can be folded for
operations in more extreme sea conditions.
It is estimated that the solar panels will
produce up to 10kW of power so the propulsion
energy is quite small and this vessel only
becomes viable with the addition of the wind
power. It is estimated that the Volitan should
be capable of speeds up to 13 knots.
This speed potential is only possible
because the hull is planned with a very
light weight, and this emphasises that at
the present levels of solar technology, those
vessels used for this method of propulsion
have to be based on extremely efficient hull
designs, with weight being a critical factor.
As this Volitan shows, the only concepts that
seem to be viable are the more extreme ones
or those that operate on calm water.
In Norway, an environmental group has
taken delivery of a fast catamaran built by
Fjellstrand Shipyard. Ordered by the Green
Warriors of Norway, this 34m-long vessel is
claimed to be the most environment-friendly
ship ever built and it is planned for use as
The Volitan hull is 33m long and has two ‘wings’ angled up at 45deg, which are covered with
solar panels to harnes the sun’s power, but also act as sails to harness wind power
a floating conference centre as well as for
coastal surveillance and as a research ship.
The design for the new Miljødronningen has
been based on Fjellstrand’s Flying Cat Type
35 class and it has a 10.4m beam. The basic
concept has been modified, with the hull
ice-strengthened for operations in northern
areas such as the Barents Sea and the coasts
of Spitzbergen. It has also been fitted with a
helicopter platform and a moonpool so that
it can undertake a wide variety of projects in
‘green’ research.
Propulsion power is provided by twin 75kW
(100 bhp) diesel engines that are coupled to
conventional shaft and propeller systems.
The maximum speed is a modest 25 knots
in keeping with the ‘green’ requirements.
At present, these engines operate on
conventional diesel oil, but the catamaran
has been designed with the possibility of
burning alternative fuels in the future.
The main role of Miljødronningen is a
combination of education and research. The
passenger and conference room capacity
is for 50 people and with its moonpool
the catamaran will be able to undertake
subsea research operations. When operating
64 I Ferry Technology I June/July 2008 www.ferrytechnology.com
a remote operated vehicle (ROV), it will be
possible to recover seabed and water samples
from depths of 200m, and there is an onboard
laboratory for analysis.
The NKr41.2 million that it cost to build
this craft has come mainly from private and
corporate sponsors, with a Norwegian bank
co-ordinating the loan structures. To cover
some of the operational costs, this vessel it will
be engaged on the spot market for short term
use by government and private companies.
A more dynamic aspect of this project is
that the catamaran will be used to monitor
pollution in the sea areas around the
Norwegian coastline. As the Green Warriors
comment: “From now on, no offender will
be able to feel comfortable or safe when
polluting nature and the environment.”
Whilst there are many ‘green’
ships operating around the world on
environmental missions this new vessel for
the Green Warriors is thought to be the
first to make use of fast ferry technology.
It could be argued that fast ferries with
their relatively high fuel consumption are
not perhaps the most economical for this
environmental work! FT
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