E-Ship 1
Encyclopedia
The E-Ship 1 is a RoLo cargo ship
that made its first voyage with cargo in August 2010. The ship is owned by the third-largest wind turbine
manufacturer, Germany
's Enercon
GmbH. It will be used to transport wind turbine components. The E-Ship 1 is a Flettner ship
: four large rotorsails that rise from its deck are rotated via a mechanical linkage to the ship's propellors. The sails, or Flettner rotors, aid the ship's propulsion by means of the Magnus effect
—the perpendicular force that is exerted on a spinning body moving through a fluid stream.
. The ship's launch took place on August 2, 2008, with the delivery date estimated for the first half of 2009. In September 2009, Lindenau-Werft declared insolvency
. On January 25, 2009, it was announced that E-Ship 1 would be towed to and completed by German shipyard Cassens Werft in Emden.
Steel construction work was completed in 2010, and the ship was docked at North Sea Works, where final construction took place with the ship in the water. In April 2010, the E-Ship 1 returned to Cassens Werft, where preparations were made for sea trials. The ship set off for a first sea trial from Emden to Bremerhaven on 6 July 2010. Three trial runs were completed until the end of July. The ship made its first voyage with cargo in August 2010, carrying nine turbines for Castledockrell Wind Farm from Emden to Dublin, Ireland
.
, and has three decks and two port-related long-boom cranes with payload capabilities of 80 and 120 tonnes. The ship has a rear ramp, and can function as a RoLo cargo ship. The vessel is 130 meters in length and 22.5 meters wide, with tonnage 12 800 dwt gt/10.000 approx. It is equipped with fore and aft maneuvering thrusters and has an Ice class
GL E3 hull rating.
marine diesel engines with a total output of 3.5 MW. The ship's exhaust gas boilers are connected to a Siemens
downstream steam turbine
, which in turn drives four Enercon-developed Flettner rotors. These rotors, resembling four large cylinders mounted on the ship's deck, are 27 meters tall and 4 meters in diameter. The Flettner drive allows for projected fuel savings of 30-40% at a speed of 16 knots.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
that made its first voyage with cargo in August 2010. The ship is owned by the third-largest wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
manufacturer, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Enercon
Enercon
Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich, Germany, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties. Enercon has production facilities in Germany , Sweden, Brazil, India, Canada, Turkey and Portugal...
GmbH. It will be used to transport wind turbine components. The E-Ship 1 is a Flettner ship
Flettner ship
A rotor ship, or Flettner ship, is a ship designed to use the Magnus effect for propulsion. To take advantage of this effect, it uses rotorsails which are powered by an engine. The Magnus effect is a force acting on a spinning body in a moving airstream, which acts perpendicularly to the direction...
: four large rotorsails that rise from its deck are rotated via a mechanical linkage to the ship's propellors. The sails, or Flettner rotors, aid the ship's propulsion by means of the Magnus effect
Magnus effect
The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion...
—the perpendicular force that is exerted on a spinning body moving through a fluid stream.
Building history
The hull of E-Ship 1 was built by German shipbuilder Lindenau Werft in KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. The ship's launch took place on August 2, 2008, with the delivery date estimated for the first half of 2009. In September 2009, Lindenau-Werft declared insolvency
Insolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
. On January 25, 2009, it was announced that E-Ship 1 would be towed to and completed by German shipyard Cassens Werft in Emden.
Steel construction work was completed in 2010, and the ship was docked at North Sea Works, where final construction took place with the ship in the water. In April 2010, the E-Ship 1 returned to Cassens Werft, where preparations were made for sea trials. The ship set off for a first sea trial from Emden to Bremerhaven on 6 July 2010. Three trial runs were completed until the end of July. The ship made its first voyage with cargo in August 2010, carrying nine turbines for Castledockrell Wind Farm from Emden to Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Structure
The ship's bridge is located at the bowBow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
, and has three decks and two port-related long-boom cranes with payload capabilities of 80 and 120 tonnes. The ship has a rear ramp, and can function as a RoLo cargo ship. The vessel is 130 meters in length and 22.5 meters wide, with tonnage 12 800 dwt gt/10.000 approx. It is equipped with fore and aft maneuvering thrusters and has an Ice class
Ice class
Ships with an Ice Class have a strengthened hull to enable them to navigate through sea ice.-History:The first requirements for merchant ships to be escorted by icebreakers were set in Finland in 1890, after winter traffic to the port of Hanko was started. In the past, different classification...
GL E3 hull rating.
Propulsion and machinery
The E-Ship 1 is equipped with nine MitsubishiMitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
marine diesel engines with a total output of 3.5 MW. The ship's exhaust gas boilers are connected to a Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
downstream steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
, which in turn drives four Enercon-developed Flettner rotors. These rotors, resembling four large cylinders mounted on the ship's deck, are 27 meters tall and 4 meters in diameter. The Flettner drive allows for projected fuel savings of 30-40% at a speed of 16 knots.