In 2011 AISTER became the first shipyard in Spain to build a 100% electric passenger ship with aluminium materials, the Juan de Homar, which is currently operating in the Canal de Castilla. Today, ten years after that first milestone and as a result of its commitment to continue innovating and investing in zero-emission propulsion, the implementation of a partnership with the Norwegian shipyard GMV opens a new path that will allow the Galician company to reinforce its strategy of building eco-friendly ships.

Sharing knowledge, designs, resources and market coverage are the main objectives of an agreement between two companies that not only share their specialisation in the construction of aluminium boats, but also their work philosophy and concern to be at the forefront of the sector, firmly committed to new propulsion technologies.

The announcement of this agreement is undoubtedly great news for the Galician shipyard, which will become an even bigger and more capable company. The first joint project, in fact, is already underway.

How was the agreement forged?

Two years ago, at a very difficult time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with the shipbuilding sector practically at a standstill, the opportunity arose to open a new path of collaboration with GMV, an aluminium shipyard located in the north of Norway and specialised in the construction of aquaculture and offshorewind vessels.

While the start of this collaboration was virtual due to restrictions, the seven-day border opening in Norway in July 2020 allowed Aister to travel to the shipyard run by Bärt Meek-Hansen and cement an agreement that had already been in the making for several months.

It was at that moment that the first stone was laid to begin designing a project that is now a reality.

What brings Aister and GMV together?

While AISTER specialises in high-speed construction and GMV in workboats, having an initial point in common in both companies, such as the family profile, the work philosophy, the objectives and the vision of the business world, facilitated the materialisation of a union that allows the Galician shipyard to take a step forward in its commitment to zero emissions.

GMV was founded more than five decades ago in the north of Norway, in an area dominated by salmon farming. Since its beginnings, the company has made clear its interest in innovation, among other things due to the need to stand out given its geographical location, and as they themselves state, it is the most northerly shipyard in the world.

For some years now, Meek-Hansen’s company has been focusing on electric and hybrid propulsion, positioning itself as one of the world leaders in this area of expertise. Indeed, three years ago, they were the first to build a 100 % electric waste collection vessel for the port of Oslo, with a working capacity of up to eight hours a day without the need for recharging. This was a technological milestone at a time when this type of propulsion was just beginning to make inroads in the sector.

Their clear focus on innovation, their commitment to the goal of zero emissions and the common ground of all-aluminium construction is what led to the creation of this strategic partnership.

First joint construction underway

Sharing knowledge, designs, resources and market coverage are the fundamental pillars on which the collaboration agreement between AISTER and GMV is based. Several projects are already under negotiation and a first construction is already underway in Vigo: a 15-metre-long, 10-metre-wide catamaran for a Norwegian salmon-fishing shipowner. This is AISTER’s 84th unit.

At the same time, it is already working on unifying management models and being able to tackle joint projects to be implemented in each of the companies.

It is undoubtedly the beginning of a new and exciting stage for AISTER.

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The European Union has launched its Zero Emissions 2050 strategy and the maritime sector has a lot of progress to make to achieve climate neutrality. At the same time, we find ourselves in a context of escalating fuel costs. It is undoubtedly time to consider new propulsion systems. At Aister we have 10 years’ experience in electric and hybrid propulsion boats. What are these options? Which is best for my boat? How do I know which one is right for me?

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set the theme “New technologies for greener shipping” for the year 2022. The aim is to raise awareness of the technologies that will help the maritime sector move towards decarbonisation. There are still technologies to be developed, such as hydrogen, but systems such as electric and hybrid propulsion are already a reality and an option to be taken into account. The data from the latest IPCC report on the state of the climate leave no room for doubt: we must act now. And the COP20, the great summit on climate change that the United Nations is holding in November in Glasgow, points in the same direction. The maritime sector is starting to take the first steps, and the political environment, with support articulated to this end, is also favourable.

What is electric propulsion?

In electric propulsion or battery boats, the energy is stored in lithium batteries that are recharged in port. The electric motor is simpler than a diesel or petrol engine, both from the point of view of installation and maintenance; it takes up less space in engine rooms; they are totally “eco-friendly” and almost completely reduce the noise generated by the propulsion system. The energy cost of running on electricity is about three times cheaper than diesel.

What is hybrid propulsion?

In this case, the electric power engine is combined with a combustion engine. There is the option of recharging the batteries while the boat sails with the combustion engine.

This propulsion system is ideal for vessels that have two very different operating ranges and require a very high power level, in which the diesel engine would be used, and a relatively low power level, in which it would be powered by the electric motor.

I want to change but I don’t know which one to choose, hybrid or electric.

The doubts of shipowners in this field are many and justified. Research in the energy field – both in engines and in energy storage and generation systems – is advancing and opening up new avenues and solutions. Keeping abreast of all energy innovations requires a technical team that constantly monitors them. But in addition, each vessel is unique, due to its characteristics and its operation, so it is ideal to analyse each project in detail to advise the owner on the solution that best suits their needs.

Opting for one propulsion system or another requires a detailed study of the energy needs of the boat. Aister’s technical department is committed to the most effective solutions with the technology available on the market.

Benefits beyond costs

The reduction in fuel costs is immediately reflected in the operating account of the vessel incorporating an electric propulsion system or a hybrid propulsion system, but this is only one of the advantages to be added:

• Less noise and vibrations in the environment.
• Lower or zero emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx, etc.
• The risk of environmental pollution from possible fuel spills is reduced.

A study in Norway analysed the consumption of twin ferries connecting the two sides of the fjords. The research focused on the ships’ emissions from the time of construction of the units to recycling and their environmental impact. The conclusion reached is that the emissions generated in the procurement of raw materials, manufacture of the batteries, construction of the vessels and operation of the vessels over 20 years is initially higher in the electric ferry, up to the point when the vessel starts operating. Thereafter, the battery-powered unit, considering that the energy with which it is recharged comes from renewable sources, reaches its environmental break-even point with the diesel-powered ferry after 7 months. In other words, after 7 months, the electric-powered vessel has compensated for the higher emissions derived from the manufacture of the lithium batteries and in the 20 years of operation of the ship, 134,000 tonnes of CO2 are saved per unit.

At Aister we are fully convinced that it is time to make the change. From the Juan de Omar, the first ship built by Aister with electric propulsion ten years ago and operating in the Canal de Castilla to the present day, the technological progress has been considerable. We already have on the table projects for two 20-metre hybrid passenger ships for the Charente river in France and we are fully involved in the transformation and electrification of passenger ships, port work boats, mussel auxiliary vessels and fishing boats in the Vigo estuary; Greenbay Project. The race is unstoppable and our company is strongly committed to electric and hybrid propulsion systems.

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The criteria taken into account by the jury at the time of making the decision have been the use of innovative materials for its construction, the improvements and benefits that would originate the drone as well as the value it provides for the society and of the marine industry.

The award had given by Navalia’s director, Javier Arnau, to the representatives of the consortium and in the delivery were present the principal managers and personalities of the sector (Shipowners, associations, shipyards, etc.).

Grupo TPI and Rotacion magazine were the entities that convened the IV FINE 2019 PRIZES. These awards aim to promote the social recognition of companies, institutions and professionals in the maritime sector, and disseminate the performance of their work at the service of society and the Spanish maritime industry. A work that helps to promote the economy and the development of the sector.

The Ocean Master project (MULTIPURPOSE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM FOR DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND ROLES) consists of design, develop and validate an unmanned multipurpose marine vehicle capable of performing missions in complex and highly environments.

In this way, a new generation of disruptive vehicles capable of providing great capabilities to its users, civilian or military, would be developed. Some of its missions are ocean exploration and observation, search and rescue, oceanic characterisation, marine resources identification, maritime traffic control, littoral combat, ports & offshore infrastructures, security inspection, maintenance, surveillance and interception.

OCEAN MASTER project has been selected in the FEDER INTERCONNECTA 2015 call and is co-funded by CDTI (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and FEDER funds, throughout the Operational Programme for Smart Growth 2014-2020. It is developed in the regions of Andalucia, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia by a consortium composed of the companies: ELINCO, AISTER, GHENOVA, AID and SAES.

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The seminar was held in the Spanish General Army Headquarters of Cartagena for two days. In the second of them, Javier Rasilla, CEO of AISTER, took part with a talk referring to the challenge of building platforms USV and UUV for the shipyards because the company is working on two projects of this type:

On the one hand, an USV platform for Autoridad Portuaria de Ceuta of 10 m in length and enclosed cockpit built in aluminium due to the adventages offered by this material for shipbuilding.

On the other hand, the aluminium shipyard is working on the Ocean Master project, a prototype of autonomous unmanned vehicle capable of navigating on the surface and under it. The project is funded by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial) and has the collaboration of AID, AISTER, Elinco, Ghenova and SAES.

Durante la jornada, los asistentes también pudieron escuchar las ponencias de otras empresas del sector como la consultoría Exsito, la ingeniería Ghenova, Industrias Ferri, Navantia… entre otras.

During the seminar, all attendees could hear the talks of other companies in the sector such as Exsito Consulting, Ghenova Engineering, Ferri, Navantia… amongst other firms.

This activity is part of a tenth of the twelve scenarios planned for this edition of Marsec that the Spanish Navy coordinates and organizes each year with the support of the Clúster Marítimo Español (CME). The mission is improving the coordination between different entities and joins efforts for future maritime security operations to be carried out successfully.

The general goals of Marsec18 are to verify the Spanish Navy capacity to coordinate and collaborate with other companies that work to guarantee maritime safety, to debug protocols for conducting security operations and knowledge of the maritime environment and consolidating relations between the different entities and police forces which form the maritime community..

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ACRONYM: OCEAN MASTER PROJECT

PROJECT TITTLE: MULTIPURPOSE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM FOR DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND ROLES. / VEHÍCULO AUTÓNOMO MULTIPROPÓSITO PARA DIFERENTES AMBIENTES Y ROLES EN OPERACIONES OCEÁNICAS.

The company AISTER, located at Vigo’s bay, is participating in the Ocean Master project, in which a multi-purpose autonomous vehicle for differents environments and roles will be developed.

The main objective of the Ocean Master project is to design, develop and validate an unmanned multipurpose marine vehicle capable of performing missions in complex and highly environments.

In this way, a new generation of disruptive vehicles capable of providing great capabilities to its users, civilian or military, would be developed. Some of its missions are ocean exploration and observation, search and rescue, oceanic characterization, marine resources identification, maritime traffic control, litoral combat, ports & offshore infrastructures, security inspection, manteinance, surveillance and interception.

The aim is to take advantage of the know how existing in naval, electronic and electrical industries, as well as auxiliary business of these sectors, so that all of them can also reactivate their activity and propelling the creation of new products, processes and services of strategic interest for the sectors mentioned.

At the same time, the Ocean Master project, will boost the leadership and international positioning in the sector of unmanned marine vehicles, generating wealth and employment in the Spanish industry.

The Ocean Master project consortium brings together 4 companies with great technical and technological capacity to tackle the tasks with all the guarantees:

ELINCO has a team of high quality professional technicians and experience to develop projects. Specializing in the design and execution of all types of electrical installations, the production of electrical panels, command and repair consoles for electromechanical equipment and products or services aimed at naval and industrial sector.

GHENOVA is an international multidisciplinary engineering that participates in large projects of high technological complexity for some of the world’s largest companies in the naval and offshore oil & gas, industry and energy, infrastructure, aeronautics and defense sectors. In nine years of history, Ghenova has positioned itself as a reference engineering in Spain, a company recognized in Europe and succesfully established in Latin America.

SAES is a highly specialized and internationally recognized company in the fields of electronics and underwater acoustics. Its main objetives are the desing, manufacture, assembly, installation, repair, manteinance, import, export and distribution of equipment, tools and electrical, electronic and acoustic equipment focused on underwater needs.

AISTER is a company specialized in marine aluminium sea works focused on Workboats, Maritime shipbuilding and Marinas. The aims of the company are the best building quality and constantly innovation in their activities: aluminium shipbuilding, marine interiors and marinas.

OCEAN MASTER project has been selected in the FEDER Innterconecta 2015 call and is co-funded by CDTI (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and FEDER funds, throughout the Operational Programme for Smart Growth 2014-2020. It is developed in the regions of: Andalucia, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia by a consortium composed of the companies: ELINCO, AISTER, GHENOVA, AID and SAES. The end of the project is scheduled for March 2018 and its overall budget is of 2.138.782 €.

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