Efficiency Innovations Continue In Maritime Shipping Industry

Hulls, defouling, drive trains and more efficiency levers continue to be explored and pulled by builders and operators

The odd looking ship whose image leads this piece actually exists, as do many ships bearing that distinctive bow. It’s the Ulstein X-Bow, an innovative hull design that reduces pitching and speed loss in heavy seas. Vessels with it were first launched only 20 years ago for use in the North Sea oil and gas industry but now are appearing in multiple industries including offshore renewables and cruise ships.

How is this relevant to this series on maritime shipping decarbonization, a sub-series of this extended exploration of electrifying everything everywhere all at once? In earlier articles it became clear that the problem was diminishing with the reduction in use of the fossil fuels which make up 40% of bulk cargoes, and a further reduction as more of the iron ore which makes up another 15% is processed into iron and steel closer to mines with green electrons and hydrogen.

Subdividing the space and looking at examples like the 700-container, battery-electric ships plying a 1,000 kilometer route on the Yangtze made it clear that all inland and roughly two-thirds of short sea shipping would…