By Our Correspondent
The first next-generation smart electric ship in South Korea, “Ulsan Taehwa” is to begin operations, according to FleetMon.
It stated: “The ship has been built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and will take tourist voyages from Ulsan along the Korean Coast.
“Construction of the vessel started in October 2021 at the Hyundai Mipo Shipyard. The ship was christened on November 29th at a naming ceremony in the city of Ulsan, South Korea. The city government of Ulsan and the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency cooperated with the Shipyard for the construction of the ship.
“It is dual-fueled and can opt to operate solely on battery power, LNG, or a hybrid of the two with the batteries supplementing the engine. The Dual fuel engine alone is capable of propelling the 1,400 gross ton ship at the speed of 16 knots. The ship is 292 feet long, and 42 feet wide and can carry 300 passengers.
“The vessel’s electric propulsion system has been developed by Korean Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. The CES 2023 Innovation Award-winning system incorporated on the ship can manage ship operations to maximize fuel efficiency. The ship also has a number of other smart technologies such as those for passenger safety and for self-diagnosing the aging components of the ship.
“During sea trials conducted in the month of August and October, results indicated that there was a 40% reduction in emissions compared to conventional diesel engines. Hyundai also reported that there was an improvement in fuel efficiency by 6% owing to optimal engine controls.”
