Zulu Associates, the Belgian short-sea shipping company, has contracted Conoship International to advance the design of the Zulu MASS 200TEU container vessel.
The new 100m-long vessel will be powered by zero-emission propulsion technology and provide a short-sea platform initially for direct container and feeder flows. It will be able to operate on both rivers and in coastal environments and will be capable of carrying 180 containers.
Zulu MASS will be designed for standardised assembly line production and feature modularity in its equipment to allow ease of maintenance and technical upgrades. It will also be designed to be unmanned as a part of a Maritime Autonomy System, which will allow it to compete with fossil-fuelled vessels.
The vessel concept, which has received approval in principle (AiP) from Lloyds Register, is planned to be initially operational with Anglo Belgian Shipping Company on green corridors between the European Continent and the United Kingdom.
Zulu MASS will be fully electrical and powered by modular energy containers provided by established energy storage companies using batteries and/or hydrogen-based power systems. In addition to zero-emission electrical propulsion, the vessel will be equipped with auxiliary wind propulsion, and the feasibility of wave propulsion will be investigated.
Belgium established a legal framework for unmanned vessel pilot projects in the North Sea in 2021. Recently, Belgium, the UK and Denmark came together to sign an agreement that eliminates the need for separate permit applications, greatly simplifying the regulatory process, according to Zulu Associates.
