Government investment is transforming India’s shipbuilding sector into a hub for greener, more energy-efficient fleets, attracting both domestic and European shipowners (including Carsten Rehder building at GRSE, Navi Merchants building at MDL, and Wilson building at Udupi Cochin, to name but a few).
The country’s Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) will provide subsidies of up to 25 per cent of the contract price to Indian shipyards, helping them to compete more effectively with Chinese builders.
China remains a popular choice for Indian owners. Recent examples include four 8,000 dwt vessels built at the Wuhu Shipyard for JSW and seven 19,000 dwt bulk carriers ordered from Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding by Ambuja Cements.
However, when it comes to shipbuilding expertise, Indian yards such as the Chowgule Shipyard and Udupi Cochin Shipyard can certainly match their Chinese rivals for similar vessel types. Besides these yards that have proven their capabilities, there are multiple others in India with orders on hand, showcasing their abilities.
While ship efficiency can be optimised through various means—such as implementing smart systems and improving vessel design, for example—the Indian government views hybrid technologies and alternative fuels as highly effective ways for shipping to achieve its decarbonisation goals, reduce fuel costs and increase operational flexibility.
European shipowners have already embraced this approach, adapting to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) EEDI, EEXI and CII requirements across their fleets.
India can certainly achieve similar outcomes by collaborating with global experts in the field, although several challenges remain.
One such challenge is that the Indian government is required to award contracts to the lowest bidder (referred to as ‘L1’). With intense competition among Indian shipyards, there is enormous pressure to quote the lowest possible price to win the bid.
Unfortunately, innovation is often sacrificed to secure the deal (or as some say, ‘innovation comes at a cost’). It is therefore essential to develop a better method to implement sustainability and green technologies in Indian shipbuilding that does not encourage a ‘race to the bottom’.
One such method is to optimise propulsion systems for maximum fuel efficiency by first evaluating the vessel’s operational profile.
Once operational constraints have been mapped out, it is easier to link the various onboard systems more effectively. This is an iterative process, requiring close collaboration and good communication between the operator, the ship designer, and the propulsion system provider to achieve the best overall outcome, regardless of vessel type.
Implementing this methodology can improve energy efficiency by 5-20 per cent compared to relying on shipyard-selected equipment packages. The latter approach may offer lower capital expenditure, but it tends to increase operational expenses—not least through higher maintenance requirements.
Adopting the right alternative fuel presents another challenge for shipowners. Selecting engines that run on methanol, LNG, or ammonia is far from straightforward.
For instance, while dual-fuel engines have become more popular, they involve higher costs and risks. They also require additional investment in fuel tanks, piping, safety systems, and crew training—all of which incur expenses beyond the reach of smaller shipowners, especially those operating 10 vessels or fewer.
There is a solution though, and one that may well benefit the Indian yards vying for new business: an increased focus on the propeller selection process.
The propeller is the largest power consumer on a vessel. A well-designed propeller can significantly reduce power demand and consequently fuel consumption and vessel emissions.
This is where controllable-pitch propeller (CPP) systems offer a huge advantage. This simple—yet overlooked—technology provides excellent operational flexibility across different fuel types.
A fixed-pitch propeller (FPP) system is efficient on larger container vessels operating on consistent routes and with consistent loads, but a CPP system can adapt to varying loads, ballast, and scantling conditions, as well as to changes in the weather, by adjusting both pitch and RPM.
A CPP system also enables greater flexibility in hybrid propulsion arrangements. The main engine can be clutched out, allowing the shaft alternator to operate as an electric motor powered by a smaller diesel generator or battery system.
The same principle applies to direct-driven, diesel-electric systems, which completely eliminate the need for a reduction gearbox. There is an increasing demand for this solution due to minimal maintenance as operators are finding it challenging to recruit qualified engineers onboard.
In a case study, an 8,000 dwt coastal cargo vessel with twin FPPs—each driven by a diesel engine—was compared to an equivalent vessel equipped with CPPs in a hybrid set-up (illustrated in Figure 2).
By analysing AIS data from sister vessels operating on similar routes, an average speed of 8-9 knots was recorded. However, the installed propulsion power was far greater than what was actually required, due to the cargo-handling equipment not being used when the vessel was at sea.
As a result, the main engine operated at a much lower load: below the optimal range needed to propel the vessel at 9 knots.
To improve propulsion efficiency, operators can incorporate CPPs with feathering technology, making it possible to shut down the main engine at sea by feathering the propeller. In simple terms, this means positioning the blades of the propeller hub parallel to the water flow (see Figure 3).
This reduces drag significantly (see Figures 4 and 5).
By implementing this relatively simple but proven technology from companies like Berg Propulsion, operators could reduce their fuel consumption by 15-25 per cent.
This return on investment is easy to calculate and typically exceeds owners’ and operators’ expectations.
There is also a common misconception in the industry that CPPs require additional maintenance, but since the development of CPPs during the 1900s, major improvements have been made to make the system more robust, allowing operators to follow standard docking intervals.
When considering hybrid-electric solutions, it is also important to consider the operational perspective of the crew.
The system must be simple and intuitive to operate, because the promised efficiency gains can otherwise be lost in real-world conditions.
Maintaining an energy-efficient propulsion system is a guaranteed and cost-effective way to keep new vessels ‘green and lean’, which should benefit Indian shipbuilders tremendously, permitting them to offer their domestic and international clients a broader range of sustainable options without cutting corners on innovation and quality.
Berg Propulsion is currently working with 47 new buildings along the coastline of India.
These vessels include hybrid technology or all-electric systems for both export and domestic owners. There is also an active ambition within the company to support the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by sourcing indigenous components.
The author is an Account Manager at Berg Propulsion, a Swedish-origin firm that designs and manufactures controllable-pitch and fixed-pitch propellers for the maritime industry.
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