Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2012)

34Maritime Reporter & Engineering News Led by calls to reduce emissions(CO2, NOx, PM-values), while at the same time increasing energy efficiency with a long-term eye on the diminishing supply of fossil fuels, it isclear for all that ?alternatives? ? even under the aspect of higher investment costs ? will pay back in the future. Beside economic and safety-related as-pects, more and more questions about envi- ronmental protection as well as healthhazards due to the emission of harmful sub-stances into the environment play an essen- tial role in shipbuilding. Unfortunately, hitting environmental tar- gets while maintaining efficient operations is becoming ever more difficult with con- ventional drive systems, requiring costly ad- ditional components, such as exhaust after-treatment systems. Low operating costs, precise maneuvering and a high starting torque at lowest propeller speed as well as a low-noise operation pays back in many respects. For these reasons, today more than ever there is a call for investment in new and emerging propulsion technologies to meet all criteria.And these mentioned facts open the chance, with an innovative propulsion con- cept, to ensure the competitiveness of the shipping industry, further increasing exist- ing advantages. Torque Marine IPS GmbH & CO. KG based in Hamburg, has developed in 2010 its High Torque Power Drive (HTP) ? an innovative diesel-electric propulsion system for all kinds of vessels, from river to coastal to tugboats ? which is outclassingthe conventional systems with combustion engines, reduction gears and drive systems. The idea of diesel-electric ship propulsionsystem is nothing new: Already in 1838 Pro- fessor Moritz Hermann Jacobi experi- mented on the river Neva in Russia with an electric driven paddlewheeler. Ronald Schröder, Business Development Manager at Germanischer Lloyd, addresses the advantages of diesel-electric drive ap- plications:High redundance of the entire ship operation systemHigh torque already at lowest propeller speedsReduction of the initial ship building costs TECHNICAL FEATURE PROPULSIONTorque Marine IPS Precise Maneuvering and 26% Fuel & CO2-Saving Gearless, diesel-electrical Torque-Drive System proves safe and reduces operating costs By Peter Pospeich, GermanyPartners in business: Thorsten Schramm (l), owner of Schramm Group, Brunsbüttel and Claus-D. Christophel (r), GM of Torque Marine IPS. MV ENOK is worldwide the first motor vessel with a gearless, diesel-electricalTroque-Drive System. Inset: Rudi Koopmans (64) Captain of the vessel ENOk is absolutely satisfied with the new Torque Drive. Two electrical drive units combined on oneof the shafts.MR#8 (34-41):MR Template 8/10/2012 2:15 PM Page 34