Wing sails, working environment and safety. It is all connected for Terntank, which recently had the energy-saving sails installed on the new build tanker Tern Land in Odense. UFDS paid the vessel a visit.
The shipping company Terntank has set a new course towards a future that not only offers more climate-friendly solutions on board the ships, but also an even better, more convenient and, not least, safer everyday life for the crews.
Recently, the CEO of Terntank Ship Management, Claes Möller, stopped by Fayard Shipyard north of Odense to see with his own eyes how these elements meet in reality. Here, the second of Terntank's five new hybrid vessels, Tern Land, had four wing sails from Dutch company Econowind installed, set to cut the top of the ship's main engine fuel consumption in the future.
UFDS was present to take a closer look at the solutions and not least the safety aspects of both sails and the interior design of the newly built vessel in general. In addition, it was possible to exchange a few words with selected representatives of the 12-man crew.
Prioritizing large surfaces
On deck, it quickly becomes clear how the company prioritizes plenty of space and elbowroom in the physical work areas surrounding, for example, hawsers and moorings, ensuring the responsible crew members the best possible conditions to carry out their tasks safely.
It is also clear that this is a completely newbuilt vessel, where polished surfaces and the smell of fresh paint underline the feeling of a ship that has many good years at sea ahead of it.
»What we can see is that when we from the shipping company and the shipyard can deliver a ship like this to our crews that looks so nice, they will also take care of it. We prioritize these large surfaces, which reduce the risk of accidents and are designed to be easy to keep clean, so she should look just as good in 20 years,« Claes Möller says with a smile.
»We have a lot of extra costs, but it's worth it for the safety of the crew.«
Claes Möller, CEO, Terntank Ship Management
Economical option of a unique element
The tour of Tern Land takes us down into the so-called pipe trunk, running for almost the entire length of the ship below deck. Here, the crew has the opportunity to service a wide range of installations, inspect tanks or just move back and forth sheltered from any harsh weather outside, which is an important factor in the Nordic regions.
»We were the first shipping company to design vessels with this passage, and it is still a pretty unique element worldwide. Again, this is something we have to prioritize, not least financially, because they provide a lot of extra volume that we have to pay for in the different ports. So, we have a lot of extra costs, but it's worth it for the safety of the crew,« Claes Möller emphasizes.
The pipe trunk as a comfortable and safe working area, the wing sails that can be remotely controlled from the bridge, and several other small and large initiatives tap directly into Terntank's vision of easing the workload for the crews as much as possible through design and technological solutions.
»The crew is involved early in the construction process of a ship like this, because they know the procedures and their workflows. In this way, we can do our best to optimize the conditions even before the ship goes into operation,« Claes Möller says.
As far as the sails are concerned, the economic case is good. According to Claes Möller, they can save the ship up to 1,5 tons of fuel per day at a normal speed of around 12 knots and thus pay for themselves quite quickly. Likewise, there is solid value in the installed battery pack and the shore power connection.
»Once we have these savings in place, our focus is 100 percent on the solutions being robust, easy to operate for the crew and so on. And it’s gone really well,« he says.
