Looking at energy efficiency and crew protection against pirates, Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding has developed a new slim superstructure, called the ‘Aero-Citadel’, that combines a vessel’s accommodation and bridge with engine room and exhaust stack casing. Developed with wind tunnel testing, the Aero-Citadel would be subject to 25 to 30 per cent less wind pressure than a conventional superstructure.
In the case of a Capesize bulk carrier, this would translate into a decrease of about two per cent in fuel consumption at normal engine output. In addition, the use of LED lighting in the accommodation and engine room areas would reduce electric power used for lighting by about 50 per cent.
