In May 2024, Deltamarin finished a three-year long EU-funded project called CHEK. Project CHEK involved 15 consortium partners with a focus on decarbonising long-distance shipping.

The decarbonisation was approached from several fronts: two conceptual vessel designs were developed   – a bulk carrier and a cruise ship – equipped with an interdisciplinary and innovative technology combination to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99% and achieve 50% energy savings. Framework conditions that influence long-distance shipping were also analysed and the impact of the “CHEK technologies” were projected onto the global fleet.

Deltamarin played a central role in the project by orchestrating the decarbonisation methods for the conceptual vessel designs. A future-proof vessel (FPV) design platform was the tool and focus of the development, which allows holistic evaluation of ship energy and environmental efficiency as early as at the ship conceptual design stage. The FPV design platform consists of several digital layers such as ship volume and structural layer (DeltaWay), ship operational propulsion power layer (DeltaSeas) and ship system level energy model (DeltaKey). The various layers have strong connections to each other, but independent analysis can be performed, which is typically necessary in practical project work. The digital design layers are an input to the latest dimension in Deltamarin’s toolbox: life cycle assessment (LCA). The numerous design variations studied during ship conceptual design can now also be analysed in terms of their impact on the ship life time, also considering the upstream energy and material flows and end-of-life stage.

The project goals were met and, in addition to the digital modelling, the technologies were tested either in-lab or under real conditions. For instance, two sails were installed onboard a Kamsarmax-sized bulk carrier. Project CHEK was also recognised by the European Commission for its contribution to a more sustainable maritime industry and it was listed as a Research and Innovation Project success story.

“Shipping decarbonisation will fundamentally change ship energy systems and requires not only the symbiosis of technical solutions for ships but also strong cooperation between various stakeholders. We have enjoyed fantastic teamwork in our “CHEK family”. We have shared data, models and our expertise and this kind of trusting environment is the most important platform for new innovations. It has been my honour and pleasure to work in CHEK!” concludes Mia Elg, R&D Manager at Deltamarin.

• You can read more about project CHEK in a summary publication
• Recordings from the final seminar as well as various training materials are also available on the CHEK webpage – CHEK it out!

Source: Deltamarine