Itelyum launches Eco Trieste, a hybrid-powered vessel for the collection of ship-generated waste
At 24 metres in length, it is the largest vessel of its kind flying the Italian flag and the first to operate in the Adriatic
The largest (to date) hybrid-powered vessel flying the Italian flag has been launched in Trieste, designed for the nationwide collection of waste produced by ships in roadsteads and ports. The vessel, owned by Itelyum Sea FVG, is also the first of its kind, with this type of propulsion, to operate in the Adriatic.
Named Eco-Trieste, the vessel, as explained in a press release, is ‘designed to exceed national standards (24 metres long, 8 metres wide and 58 tonnes in displacement) and combines maximum “all-weather” operational safety and crew comfort, with a load capacity of 60 tonnes and 120 cubic metres divided into four separate compartments: a volume three times greater than the average for similar vessels’. It is designed both for the collection and for the removal and transport of waste from other ships.
The vessel will shortly enter service under the ship-generated waste concession granted by the Port System Authority of the Eastern Adriatic and will operate in the ports of Trieste and Monfalcone. “The sustainability of a port,” emphasises the ADSP’s president, Marco Consalvo, “is measured by its ability to translate environmental objectives into concrete solutions. Following the commissioning in Trieste of Italia’s first mobile ballast water treatment plant, this new vessel enhances the environmental services available at the ports of Trieste and Monfalcone. Our commitment is to create the conditions enabling operators to invest in technologies capable of reducing emissions, improving the management of waste generated by ships and making port operations more efficient.”
The vessel offers a number of advantages: a high cargo capacity that enables the service to be completed throughout the entire port (including the roadstead) in a single session; a hold designed for ‘push-type’ separate waste collection at sea; hybrid propulsion: electric mode for inland navigation and manoeuvres, and thermal/hybrid mode (with engines capable of running on HVO vegetable fuel) with energy recovery (the system recovers the energy produced by the engines and uses it to recharge the electric batteries).
“Ports and maritime logistics,” says Marco Codognola, CEO of Itelyum, “are a key economic driver for Europe, acting as a hub for global supply chains through efficient, technologically advanced and sustainable intermodal hubs. Against this backdrop, Itelyum aims to play its part within the ‘system’ by offering integrated environmental management with cutting-edge solutions. Our investments are aimed at supporting the Port System Management Authorities – first and foremost that of Trieste, which has always been extremely sensitive and demanding on sustainability issues – in the responsible management of environmental matters.”
