Page 37 - Demo

|WorkBoat365.com |Summer 2025 37| WorkBoat365.com|vessel Ane%ufffde, in a project co-financed by the European Union%u2019s Just Transi%ufffdon Fund. The results from the tes%ufffdng phase are posi%ufffdve.%u201cThe test results show that SolarDeck performs well in the tougher environment %u2013 in terms of salinity and rougher sea states %u2013 of coastal shipping. Because salt water can drain freely from the solar panels, there%u2019s no chance of a salt crust forming. As such, SolarDeck generates the expected power output levels,%u201d Salet explains. %u201cFurthermore, the system is robust enough to withstand storms as well as the usual day-to-day ac%ufffdvi%ufffdes on board a seagoing cargo ship %u2013 while staying safe at all %ufffdmes.%u201dBased on the test results (Vertom%u2019s Ane%ufffde is 119 metres long and 14 metres wide), Wa%ufffdlab predicts reduc%ufffdons of 20 MT fuel and 68 MT CO%u2082 emissions per year for this coaster-type. Such numbers are substan%ufffdal enough to have a significant impact on a shipowner%u2019s EEXI and CII scores in addi%ufffdon to poten%ufffdal savings via Fuel EU Mari%ufffdme and EU ETS regula%ufffdons. Note that for larger vessels, the efficiency gains are also (much) larger.%u201cWe are excited to introduce SolarDeck to the seagoing shipping industry %u2013 to show shipowners what this system can mean to their opera%ufffdons,%u201d Salet concludes. %u201cSolarDeck isn%u2019t just a green upgrade. With a return on investment of 3 to 5 years, it%u2019s a smart investment.%u201dWa%ufffdlab%u2019s SolarDeck pilot project has been co-financed by the European Union%u2019s Just Transi%ufffdon Fund (JTF). The JTF is a new instrument of the Cohesion Policy 2021-2027, as the first pillar of the Just Transi%ufffdon Mechanism in the context of the European Green Deal aiming at achieving EU climate-neutrality by 2050.