Viking Line is working in partnership with Swedish clean-tech firm Climeon on its new vessel Viking Glory, which will be one of the world’s most climate-smart vessels when it is launched in 2021.
Viking Line was the first shipping company in the world to invest in Climeon’s energy recovery system – which converts waste heat from the water used to cool the vessel’s engines into clean electricity – when it was installed on board Viking Grace. With the construction of Viking Glory, the decision was made to involve Climeon right from the start in the development work.
“Fuel is the second biggest expenditure for Viking Line, but being energy-efficient is not just about making savings,” said Kari Granberg, project manager for Viking Glory at Viking Line. “What is most important to us is that we work actively for sustainable marine transport. The Climeon Heat Power System will provide up to 40% of the electricity needed for the passenger functions on board.”
Viking Glory is currently being built in Xiamen, China, and will be equipped with a number of technological innovations to reduce emissions and its climate impact, including Climeon’s steam turbines, which use waste heat from gases produced during the combustion process. The steam turbines will be placed in service initially on Viking Glory but will be assessed for potential use on Viking Line’s six other vessels in the future.
“We are really proud of the confidence that Viking Line has placed in us and that they have chosen to be a pioneer in energy efficiency in the marine transport industry by installing both Heat Power modules and steam turbines from Climeon,” said Thomas Öström, Climeon’s chief executive officer. “Each unit can produce up to 150kW, which is comparable to the amount of electricity needed to charge 250,000 cell phones a day. Our estimate is that Viking Glory will reduce its CO2 emissions by about 4,000 tonnes a year with our new solution.”