Becker delivers an eight-meter-diameter version of its prime energy saver for VLCC

Becker Marine Systems has delivered the largest Becker Mewis Duct® ever made with a diameter of 8.10 m for the construction of Very Large Crude Oil Carriers (VLCC) at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for Samco Shipholding, Singapore.

Initial sea trials of the new VLCC with a length of 319.0 m have proven once more the excellent rate of power savings provided by the Becker Mewis Duct®. Fuel savings of about 5 % were measured, lowering operating costs for the lifetime of the ship. These fuel savings also reduce CO2 emissions by 2,800 t per year for each VLCC. These numbers speak for themselves and convinced Samco to equip all four VLCC of this series constructed at Hyundai Samho with the Becker Mewis Duct®.

This order is just one example of the excellent reception being given to the Becker Mewis Duct®, especially in the Korean shipbuilding market. Every week Becker’s sales team receives more than ten Becker Mewis Duct® enquiries from Korea. Korean shipyards build a lot of tankers and bulkers in sizes ranging from 30,000 to 320,000 dwt. This is the perfect size for the Becker Mewis Duct® and always result in substantial rates of fuel savings. Among other ESD’s (Energy Saving Devices) the Becker Mewis Duct® is the only solution combining the three principles of ESD’s in a non-linear interaction: wake field equalisation, reduction of hub vortex and contra-rotating swirl. Hyundai Mipo Dockyard has thus ordered four Becker Mewis Duct® for an Italian owner, and two more for an owner from Monaco. Also STX has ordered the first three Becker Mewis Duct® for the newbuilding of 50,000 dwt bulkers for a Danish owner and an addition order of four for a Greece owner already followed. Only the first quarter of 2012 Becker already received orders for approximately100 Becker Mewis Duct®, as much as Becker Marine Systems received during the last year.

Picture 1: The largest Becker Mewis Duct® ever built.