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Since late last year, an eco-tanker has been sailing in the port of Rotterdam. The motor tanker vessel Amulet
owes its green designation to its diesel-electric power and several other innovations that can reduce fuel
consumption by up to thirty per cent. The green bunker tanker also complies with the emissions requirements
that will apply after 2020.
It is precisely thanks to the latter point - the reduced emissions of harmful substances such as CO2, NOx
and fine particles - that owners Frans Jansen, his son Igor and Ton van der Molen believe they can
seize a commercial opportunity. Indeed, stringent environmental requirements are going to apply for the
new Maasvlakte 2 port area of Rotterdam, including to inland vessels. With their green tanker, the innovative
entrepreneurs have already taken a firm lead on the competition.
The 135 metres long and 14.15 metres wide Amulet has twenty cargo tanks with a total load capacity of
6,800 tonnes. These specifications do not make it one of the very largest bunker vessels. The Amulet is used for
the transportation of fuel oil and mineral oils between refineries, storage locations and sea-going vessels in the
ARA range (Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam).
From the outset, the intention behind the construction of the Amulet was to enter a clean and economical
vessel into service, by making optimal use of new and existing technologies. The objective was to reduce
energy utilisation by thirty to forty per cent. The energy used would also have to be cleansed as
well as possible by using catalysts, especially with a view to reducing the emissions of CO2 and NOx.
The shell of the Amulet was built in China, in two parts. Laden onto the shell of a new coaster, both parts were
towed to the Netherlands by a new Kortug tugboat, also built in China. The Amulet was completed in
Werkendam.
The Amulet required an investment of around nine million euros, roughly one and a half million euros
more than for a conventional tanker. The investment was organised through ABN AMRO?s Groenbank.
The high investment is offset by the low energy consumption and, of course, by the technological
competitive advantage. This way, the owners have associated 'green' and 'durable' with 'economical'
and 'competitive'.
Four diesel-electric generators, each delivering 850 kW, ensure that sufficient power is available for
driving the main propellers, the bow thruster and the cargo pumps. A clever, computer-driven management
system ensures optimal control of all power sources. Moreover, the main propellers are adjustable in height,
which enables an optimal utilisation. In particular, when the Amulet is not laden, there is no need to
ballast the vessel.
Other novelties that make the Amulet special include the shape of the hull, which improves its flow and
reduces suction drag. By placing the generators in the bow of the vessel, there was less need for isolating the
installation.
For further information: www.ecotanker.nl
Green tanker Amulet ahead of its time.
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