The Aquarius Eco Ship concept design is the result of a comprehensive study project which focused on optimising the design of a large ocean going ship such as a bulk carrier or oil tanker to harness the power of the wind & sun by using the Aquarius MRE System. This study was started by Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd (EMP) in May 2011 and has attracted worldwide interest.

The centre piece of the Aquarius Eco Ship is the Aquarius MRE System - an innovative fuel saving and emission reduction technology that incorporates a variety of elements including solar panels, energy storage modules, a computer control system and an advanced rigid sail design.

This low emission green shipping focused solution has been designed to be highly flexible and configurable so that it can installed on variety of ship sizes and types. Applications for the system include bulk carriers, oil tankers, survey ships, passenger ferries & even unmanned surface vessels.

In addition to the Aquarius MRE System, a future Aquarius Eco Ship would be fitted with other fuel saving measures such as an advanced electrical propulsion system, an optimised hull design and waste heat recovery technologies. Fuel cell technology could also be incorporated into the design.

This combination of technologies could lead to fuel savings of 40% or more and also dramatically reduce the emission of noxious gases such as Sulphur Oxides (SOx) & Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). In addition the use of renewable energy would reduce the vessels carbon footprint.

An Aquarius Eco Ship could include enough solar panels for a 1MWp solar system or larger and enough energy storage modules so that the ship would not need to use auxiliary diesel generators whilst in port and therefore could operate emission free when alongside. The energy storage modules could be charged via the solar panels or by the ships main generators.

Both the Aquarius Eco Ship and Aquarius MRE System have been designed to take into account the reality of operating rigid sails on ocean going ships and include a range of safety features. The rigid sails for example can be lowered and stored when not in use or during emergencies.

The rigid sails used by the Aquarius Eco Ship form part of Eco Marine Power's EnergySail technology. This renewable energy sail system allows for a variety of energy sources to be used and managed via the same unit. Solar panels can be mounted on the rigid sails or elsewhere on the ship in a variety of configurations.

The revolutionary Aquarius MRE System technology will enable ships of all types and sizes to safely use renewable energy in order to reduce fuel consumption and lower harmful emissions in a cost effective way. The Aquarius Eco Ship is an example of how this system could be integrated into a new ship design although it is also suitable for existing ship designs and could be retro-fitted to vessels already in service.

The Aquarius Eco Ship is another example of how Eco Marine Power is developing designs to move shipping towards a more sustainable future. To read more about our current projects please see our Research & Development webpage.

For more information please visit our Aquarius System webpage.

Aquarius MRE System and EnergySail are trademarks of Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd.