The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority has commissioned the move of the first ever green hydrogen and electricity-powered ship in Lithuania from a shipyard into the water.
In June 2024, a keel-laying ceremony at the West Baltic Shipyard of the West Baltic Shipyard Group marked the start of the ship’s construction.
The hull has been fabricated and painted, with piping, valves, coolers, shaft lines, rudder feathers, and heat and fire insulation installed.
Once the tanker is moved into the water, the engine room equipment will be installed, the interior of the wheelhouse will be redecorated, the electrical wiring and the main electrical engines will be installed, the hydrogen system will be installed and other work necessary for the operation of the ship will be carried out.
According to the current rules, vessels must hand over the waste they produce when they arrive and before they leave Klaipėda Port. The Seaport Authority was entrusted with the collection of waste, and the company decided to use modern and environmentally friendly equipment further to improve the quality of the ship waste collection service.
The tanker’s main function is to collect stormwater, sewage, sludge and garbage, as well as to ensure efficient waste management. The ship will be equipped with special tanks and a modern rainwater treatment plant that will allow the treated water to be transferred to the city’s sewage treatment plants. The tanker will be ready to work around the clock and collect up to 400 cubic metres of liquid waste.
The tanker is 42 metres long and 10 metres wide. The ship’s power system will consist of two electric motors powered by 2,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) batteries and a hydrogen fuel cell system. Depending on the intensity of the work, the tanker will be able to operate in the port of Klaipėda for up to 36 hours without additional power charging.
This ship-building project, which has a total value of €12 million ($12.5 million), has been commissioned by the Port Authority and is being built by West Baltic Shipyard together with Baltic Workboats under a joint operating agreement.
READ: Port of Klaipėda receives first vessel on green shipping route
“We have not only launched a tanker, but also a new approach to port operations – cleaner, smarter and more environmentally friendly,” said Algis Latakas, Director General of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.
“This first-ever hydrogen and electricity-powered ship is not only an innovative technological solution but also an important step in strengthening Lithuania’s image as a modern maritime nation. At the moment, the tanker is getting used to the seaport water, so to speak, and at the end of the year we expect it to start its important mission of taking care of the clean seaport environment.
