An agreement has been signed between Zulu Associates and Flanders Hydraulics which will see the partners investigate and validate the energy efficiency of the zero-emission, autonomous inland vessel X-Barge.
The study is necessary to optimize the hull shape of the X-Barge, especially in the confined and shallow waters typical of European canals and rivers, and at low water levels. Vessels such as X-Barge will prove key to the transition of inland waterway barges to zero-emission. The less energy the barge needs per metric ton/km, the more competitive it is compared to fossil fuel powered barges.
Zulu Associates is developing a fleet of zero-emission barges and vessels for inland and short-sea shipping that use a combination of alternative propulsion forms and autonomous operation to be economically competitive.
The X-Barge is an 85m ECMT class IV inland vessel, designed for container and dry bulk shipping. It is developed for efficient energy utilization and features modular energy storage and infrastructure designed for alternative sources of energy, such as batteries and/or hydrogen. The vessel is designed to navigate autonomously, which is expected to yield the economic margins necessary to compete with fossil fuel-powered vessels.
Flanders Hydraulics is a division of the department of mobility and public works of the Flemish government and is a center of expertise for research and advice on hydraulic, nautical, sediment-related and hydrological topics. Through its commercial entity, EV Flanders Hydraulics, Flanders Hydraulics carries out commercial assignments for the private sector and foreign governments.
Flanders Hydraulics uses advanced tools for executing model tests, including two towing tanks for ship maneuvering in shallow and confined water. Flanders also possesses numerical models such as navigation simulators and models predicting current velocities impacting the behavior of ships.
