Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2022)

TECH FEATURE PROPULSION

Images courtesy Kongsberg Maritime

PROPELLED INTO A

CLEANER, LEANER FUTURE

An upgrade by Kongsberg Maritime of the waterjets on a catamaran ferry operated by the family-run ? rm of AG EMS brings a new level of ef? ciency and environmental consideration to a route traversed by the company for 143 years.

laus Hirsch, the ? eet manag- pany’s benign stewardship manifests buffeted by circumstance just like the er with AG EMS, is a likable itself all over the island, with hotels, rest of us over the last two years. It’s and personable individual. electric buses, trains and light aircraft all perhaps a measure of the ? rm’s policy

CHis easy demeanor suggests operating under the AG EMS umbrella. of far-sightedness rather than short-term that he is contented with his lot in life, “We always keep an open mind,” Claus gain that it was still quietly making and no one would blame him for that. remarks, “and we are always looking for prudent investments and notching up

The company he works for is a family- new business opportunities. Neverthe- success stories even in the midst of the run concern with a benevolent attitude less, we’re a small and tight-knit com- pandemic. One such story concerns the toward its employees and a palpable pany, and we look out for each other in replacement of the waterjets on its 40m respect for the precious environmental every venture. Our CEO always says, passenger ferry M/S Nordlicht – an up- features in its operational base of Lower ‘everybody is responsible for every- grade which brought about a remarkable

Saxony, Germany; an area teeming with body else’ – and if I want to ask them 26% improvement in energy ef? ciency.

UNESCO World Heritage sites. something, I only have to walk up three ‘The answer was obvious’

With its headquarters in the historic ? ights of stairs to do so.” seaport of Emden, AG EMS has been However enviable this combination Nordlicht, a 38.8m catamaran built operating a ferry service to and from the of civilized working conditions in an in 1989 and capable of carrying 272 beautiful island of Borkum for the last idyllic location may sound, it’s as well passengers, had been using a pair of 143 years. In addition to this, the com- to remember that AG EMS has been Kamewa SII waterjets for years, but 44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2022

MR #4 (34-49).indd 44 4/5/2022 11:09:38 AM