现役船队脱碳之光：Silverstream助力船队绿色转型升级

当下，船东们在面对如何实现国际海事组织的各项脱碳要求时，通常会遇到同一个难题：规模庞大的现役船队。这些船队由不同船龄、或不同营运模式的各类船只组成，加剧了完成近在眼前的脱碳任务的难度。

针对这一痛点，一些解决方案把重点集中于报废现役船只打造新船。但现实情况是，部分现役船只的船龄可能不到5年，需要继续使用至2040年甚至更久。这一现实情况增加了船队脱碳的难度，不但要求船东必须采用新技术以调整现役船队，同时确保船队在未来新型燃料上线后能立即适应。

不同于新造船，如何处置现役船队，答案并没有那么简单。事实上，并非所有解决方案都能应用于现役船只，达到商业收益与实际操作双兼顾的效果。

先进的改装技术

Silverstream的专业知识和技术重点相当一部分集中于清洁技术在现役船只的改造应用上。我们的经验与技术能力，是我们能够顺利地将使空气润滑系统，这一已经经过验证的技术，顺利地应用于现役船只。

从MT Amalienborg油轮到Methane Patricia Camila液化天然气运输船，Silverstream已经拥有各种类型船舶的改装经验，这使我们可以自豪地说：在接到订单的6个月内，我们的团队有能力将Silverstream®系统运至待改造的船只，并在计划的干船坞期间内完成改装。

对于整体改造进度的把控来自强有力的项目管理能力与经验。由于干船坞期间的安装时间有限，项目所有细节都需提前规划并严格地按照计划进行推进。

我们的专业工程师将在收到有关船只的信息（包括船只原有设计和实际运行概况）后的两周内完成初步评估，预估系统运行后能够带来的收益和初步安装计划。

我们的客户将收到一份专业的评估报告，其中包括了系统运行后在不同速度和吃水情况下的减排数据预估。预估数据来自于我们在汉堡的独立测试伙伴HSVA的研究以及多年来Silverstream®系统的实际运行数据。

在初步评估完成后，我们还将提供一系列详细的安装方案，其中包括了项目交付时间表。通常情况下，我们会为客户提供所需的各类信息，以便客户与其合作的船厂及合作伙伴确定安装费用等细节。

在设计方案确认及相关零配件运抵现场后，Silverstream的技术代表将在整个干船坞改造及项目的关键阶段提供现场支持服务。

强大的全球供应链

Silverstream能够有如此长足的发展，也依赖于我们富有弹性的全球供应链体系。我们始终保持着合作供应商的多样化，并且尽可能地与我们重要的船厂合作伙伴周边的供应商进行合作。为此，我们与马来西亚海洋和重型工程公司（MMHE）以及新加坡吉宝位于卡塔尔的合资船厂Nakilat Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd （NKOM）等签署合作协议，以支持Silverstream在全球各地的改造安装项目。

在过去的几年里，我们的供应链已经充分印证了自身的价值：尽管全球经济形式严峻，疫情带来了各类挑战和影响，但Silverstream从未在按时交付项目上失约。

在航运脱碳的漫长征程中，我们不能忽视现役船队，这一点至关重要。盲目地进行船只回收和新造船只，可能反而会导致在船队脱碳过程中产生额外且大量的碳排放。与之相反，我们更应该顺应清洁技术的发展潮流，利用好Silverstream®系统——作为现役船队的有效脱碳解决方案。

Retrofit clean technologies: how Silverstream supports the existing fleet in its decarbonisation transition

When thinking about how to meet IMO decarbonisation targets, shipowners have a conundrum. Their fleets – which could span a handful or hundreds of vessels – are comprised of vessels of varying age and operational patterns. The imperative to decarbonise these fleets is now clear; how this is achieved is much less certain.

Some of the solution will lie in managed recycling of older tonnage and newbuildings where possible. But newer, existing ships – those built less than five years ago – may have to be in operation in 2040 and beyond. This increases complexity for owners, as they have to adjust their assets with new technologies, and to be able to adapt to new fuels as they come online.

The answers may seem less obvious than for newbuild vessels. Indeed, not all solutions can be retrofitted onto existing tonnage in a way in a commercially and operationally sensible way.

Much of Silverstream’s expertise and attention has been focused on retrofit installations of our technology, meaning that we have a means-tested approach to getting our air lubrication system on existing vessels.

From the tanker MT Amalienborg to LNG carrier Methane Patricia Camila, Silverstream’s journey to-date has been marked by important and large-scale retrofit orders on all vessel types. This experience means that we are able to get our Silverstream^® System onboard within six months of order and installed during planned dry docks.

This requires significant stage management. In drydock, everything needs to be in place and ready to go strictly on time, as there is a far shorter window of installation.

Our specialist engineers will complete an initial evaluation of estimated savings and outline system design within two weeks of receiving information about a vessel, including its design and operating profile.

Customers are provided with an assessment of estimated savings across a range of speeds and for ballast and laden conditions. The evaluation methodology is developed using research carried out with our independent testing partner HSVA in Hamburg, and from comprehensive operational testing data obtained from many years of system operation.

Following the initial evaluation, we provide a detailed proposal including delivery schedules. Typically, we provide information for customers to engage with their preferred installation yards and partners for installation pricing.

After design and supply of parts, Silverstream representatives are present throughout a retrofit installation in dry dock and at key installation stages for a newbuild project.

All of this relies on our resilient global supply chain. We have prioritised diversifying the number of suppliers we work with, and aim, where possible, to work with suppliers that are close to our most important shipyard partners. We also have signed partnerships with yards like Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE) and Nakilat Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (NKOM) to specifically target and support retrofit installations of our technology.

Our supply chain has proven its worth over the past couple of years: despite the ongoing challenges in the global economy and the aftershocks of Covid-19, Silverstream has never failed to deliver a project on time.

In the battle to decarbonise, it is critical that we do not overlook the existing fleet. Recycling and newbuilding new vessels where it is not needed risks a hugely contradictory carbon intensive approach to decarbonisation. Instead, it’s time that we celebrate the momentum for clean technologies – and the Silverstream^® System – as solutions for the existing fleet.