Moving boxes off the roads

The main market for the Cargo Ferry concept is for goods that are currently transported on trucks for long distances to and from coastal Norwegian towns. DNV GL said in this market the project has the potential to transfer five million tonnes of cargo from roads to the sea.

Remi Eriksen, DNV GL group executive vice president and COO, said: “This represents an annual benefit to society of some 1.3bn NOK. On top of that, the reduction in road traffic means fewer accidents on the roads, less road maintenance and a dramatic drop in CO2 emissions as well as emissions of SOx and NOx.”

Cargo Ferry is built around a concept for a new “lift on/lift off” (LoLo) vessel. Equipped with its own cranes and cell guides the vessel can carry 110-140 40-foot/45-foot containers.

The ship has a service speed of 12-15 knots, is LNG-fuelled, has a battery for hybrid operation and can use shore power. As a result the vessel has an extremely low emission profile. It also operates without assistance from shore through the use of an automated mooring system.

The Cargo Ferry concept offers transport to and from destinations that are linked together by efficient maritime transport on four main routes, including distribution to and from ports and warehouses.

A fully developed solution with the capacity to deal with the cargo volume identified in the report will require 14 ships transporting the equivalent of 220,000 to 270,000 45-foot containers annually. However, DNV GL said the overall transport price will be 20 to 30% lower than if trucks are used and the concept is flexible, punctual, eco-friendly and has daily departures.

A group of 27 companies, led by DNV GL, Shortsea Services and Marintek, cooperated to develop the report.