(ROTTERDAM, Netherlands) — RH Marine has been commended by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) at the Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards in Amsterdam. CMAL’s third hybrid, the ro-pax ferry M/V Catriona, won the Electric & Hybrid Propulsion System of the Year Award at the event on June 23. RH Marine (formerly known as Imtech Marine) supplied the diesel-electric hybrid propulsion systems for the three CMAL ferries, which are the first of their type in the world.
On receiving the Award, John Salton, fleet manager/project director at Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd., shared the honor with the shipyard, RH Marine and three other suppliers. “CMAL is very satisfied with the performance of RH Marine in the three hybrid projects," Salton said. "Together we have made significant steps in the hybrid propulsion development of our fleet.”
Douwe van der Meer, RH Marine sales director, ferries, said, “We are delighted to be recognized by CMAL and to share in this prestigious award. RH Marine has been active for a long time with battery technology for propulsion on naval vessels such as submarine as well as diesel electric propulsion for heavy lift and pipe-laying vessels. We also introduced and extended this technology on board of ferries, superyachts and special vessels."
While fuel savings of around 20 percent were expected, after measurements the reductions were substantially higher when the first two ferries entered service. M/V Catriona will realize even more fuel savings when it comes into operation as the battery capacity on board has been increased from 750 kWh to 800 kWh. The vessel is expected to use just 500 to 600 liters of fuel a day instead of 700 to 800 liters of fuel as per conventional diesel-electric propulsion systems.
A major difference between the three CMAL ferries and other conventional diesel-electric vessels is that the batteries work in tandem with the generators. This makes the propulsion system cleaner, quieter and cheaper to operate and maintain.
All three hybrid ferries can be recharged when docked at night, lengthening battery life at sea. And with the power source being Scottish wind energy, the ferries are even more environmentally friendly. CMAL operates 30 ferries on the west coast of Scotland to 18 islands.
For more information about RH Marine, visit www.rhmarine.com.
