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A Dutch cargo ship is expected to be able to reduce fuel consumption by 30 to 40 percent after increasing the number of 20-foot containers that it is able to carry, Cleantech reports.

The 192-meter Ursa Montana is due to sail from the Netherlands on December 10th carrying as many as 824 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). The vessel was previously able to carry 500 TEU.

The 65 percent increase in cargo is expected to reduce the number of trips necessary and to produce potential fuel savings and an emissions reduction of between 30 and 40 percent.

The Ursa Montana consists of two parts that can sail independently. The streamlined ship does not require anchors or mooring ropes because it is equipped with a submersible mooring system, which allows it to submerge the hull by selectively flooding compartments. The ship can also pass under bridges that typically allow cargo ships with just 704 TEU.

The Ursa Montana initiative is the latest in a number of projects undertaken by shipping firms to reduce fuel costs and cut emissions. The fuel efficiency topic has been high on the agenda in recent months with the IMO even dedicating World Maritime Day on September 24th to the GHG issue with the theme Climate Change: a challenge for IMO too!.

According to a recent study commissioned by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), shipping is estimated to have emitted 1,046 million tonnes of CO2 in 2007, which corresponds to 3.3 percent of the global emissions during 2007.

Mid-range emissions scenarios analysed in the study show that, by 2050, in the absence of policies, ship emissions may grow by 150 percent to 250 percent (compared to the emissions in 2007) as a result of the growth in shipping.