Birkenhead based marine engineering firm SeaKing Electrical has completed major works on two Stena Line ferries to help cut fuel costs and carbon emissions.
SeaKing has supplied and installed two Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) for seawater pumps on Stena Line’s Superfast VII and Superfast VIII vessels. The pumps are used to transfer fresh water and seawater on board vessels for use with fire fighting, emergency cooling, ballast and sanitation.
VSDs help operators to adjust the speed of these motors according to demand, reducing fuel and energy use as well as cutting CO2 emissions. The VSD cabinets were built at SeaKing’s Birkenhead site and installed in the vessels’ engine rooms at Loch Ryan Port Cairnryan in Scotland.
SeaKing Electrical Group business development manager Neil Mellenchip said the Stena Line installation has a payback period of less than two years. “At SeaKing Electrical we understand that the tough economic climate is driving ferry operators to seek efficiency savings,” he said. “Seawater cooling pumps are amongst the largest energy consumers on board vessels. They often operate at full capacity when not required. Many vessels control flow through mechanical devices such as bypass valves and air dampers which are inefficient and costly to maintain. VSDs reduce the amount of energy drawn from these motors and provide greater temperature control for engines and generators. This upgrade work for Stena Line will help future proof the firm, guarding against rising fuel costs and helping to meet green targets.”
Mr Mellenchip estimated the ferry market to account for around 15pc of the SeaKing Electrical’s work. He said the firm, which has offices in Aberdeen, is keen to grow its presence in the sector both in the UK and overseas.
“SeaKing is ideally located to capitalise on opportunities coming out of Liverpool, Heysham and Cairnryan,” he said. “There is also a huge requirement for high end electrical work beyond the UK. We have built a track record for delivering services to the ferry sector. The firm is ahead of the regulatory curve and understands all class list requirements from Lloyds, Bureau Veritas and other regulators. Over the last year we have undertaken a huge range of projects across the globe including China, Africa, Asia and Europe. Moving forward we will be using this strong portfolio of work with world leading operators to continue driving awareness of the SeaKing Electrical brand. The message we are keen to communicate is that we deliver fast and reliable marine electrical solutions to drive efficiency and cut costs.”