Retrofit solutions for inland ships: The MoVe IT! approach

Abstract

In MoVe IT!, a project in the European 7th framework package, it is investigated how existing European inland cargo ships can be retrofitted in order to improve their economic and environmental performance. In the project, experts from academia worked closely together with five ship owners to identify the most promising retrofit options for one of their ships and to elaborate them. In this paper, the MoVe IT! approach is discussed, as well as some key results. After a brief introduction to the project, an overview of all identified retrofit options is presented, followed by the selection of the options that were deemed most desirable. As an example of the MoVe IT! solutions, the elaborated hydrodynamic retrofit options for the coupled unit MS Herso I and barge Leonie are discussed in detail, followed by a short overview of the results of retrofit attempts for all ships surveyed within MoVe IT!. The paper is concluded with the most important lessons that were learned from the efforts to find good retrofit solutions for inland ships.Marine and Transport TechnologyMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin