Swiss trader Mercuria and Dutch ETA Shipping have teamed up to build up to 16 low-emission multipurpose general cargo ships in China.
A joint venture will see the construction of six initial ÈTA 6700 vessels at Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering, with the first delivery expected in 2025.
The ships will be owned by Mare Balticum, a subsidiary of Mercuria, with ÈTA Shipping holding a minority stake in the venture.
The vessel’s modular design means that there is no main engine; instead, an electric motor powers the propeller. Electricity is supplied by generators that can be fuelled by conventional or low-carbon fuels but can also connect to any sustainable power source, such as batteries or fuel-cell technology that can run on green hydrogen, methanol or ammonia.
“The modular design of the vessels allows for an easy replacement of a power source, which can be anything as long as it produces electricity,” explained co-founder Sam Gombra. “We estimate that it will take less than a day to remove the existing power generation system and replace it, fully or partially, without the need for a shipyard.”
ETA said the design has been achieved without compromising speed or cargo carrying capacity, and, although the price tag has not been revealed, at a comparable newbuild cost versus conventional vessels. The ship has a cargo carrying capacity of 7,400 dwt but is just under 5,000 gross tonnage and can achieve 10.5 knots fully laden at under 900 KW of power, making it the most efficient Ice 1A vessel in its peer group, the developer said, adding that it can also be safely managed with a reduced crew size of four, instead of six.
“ETA vessels are already 30% more efficient than a conventional newbuild and about 50% more efficient than the average ship in the legacy fleet,” noted Mindaugas Gogelis, energy transition director of Mercuria.
