BMT Nigel Gee Pursues Modal Freight Shift
BMT Nigel Gee and Associates new Pentamaran family of hull designs aim to shift freight transport from road to sea.
The first of two Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vessels designed by BMT Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd entered service on the choppy waters of Holland's Western Scheldt last month, with the second to follow next month. The craft have been built by the Damen Shipyards Group for the Province of Zeeland, with principle design and building supervision from Sovereign Marine NV .
The two vessels will travel at speeds of up to 16.5 knots on a four mile route between Breskens and Vlissingen in Holland, replacing an existing car ferry service following the recent opening of a new tunnel under the estuary. Up to 181 passengers, including five disabled people, 75 bikes and 20 mopeds will be transported on each vessel across the Western Scheldt up to 34 times per day.
Constructed out of high tensile steel and aluminium, the ferries are designed to last for a 30 year lifespan. The propulsion system is based on two MTU 12V 4000 diesel engines driving a Bakker Sliedrecht electric propulsion system comprising generators and electric propulsion motors turning two fixed pitch propellers.
The motion damping system has been provided by Maritime Dynamics Inc and consists of four active stabilising fins positioned fore and aft on each of the floaters controlled by a motion sensing system. The fins are positioned inboard on the floaters, reducing the likelihood of damage when coming alongside the jetty.
Since becoming part of the British Maritime Technology (BMT) Group last year, BMT Nigel Gee and Associates has been further developing a number of hull designs based on their patented Pentamaran technology, with a slender, stabilised, high-displacement monohull. The family of designs aim to address problems of traffic congestion, unreliable delivery and environmental damage in Europe and elsewhere in the world associated with the transport of freight by road.
With European road freight traffic expected to increase by 50% between 2000 and 2010, a modal shift from road to sea is already being supported by the EU with its Marco Polo programme.
With cost competitiveness driving any modal shift, the BMT Nigel Gee and Associates family of Ro-Ro, Ro-Pax and Lo-Lo designs would incorporate steel hulls in order to accommodate necessary freight volumes in 30 knots plus vessels running medium speed diesels on heavy fuel.
Spain's Izar Group is licensed to build the BMT Pentamaran design and detailed contract negotiations are underway with potential operators of Europe's first high speed Ro-Ro service.
MJ Information No: 19233
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