Repair yard Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE) has signed a strategic agreement with maritime clean technology company Silverstream Technologies to facilitate retrofit opportunities for Silverstream’s air lubrication technology.
As part of the agreement, the two organisations will perform joint promotion of the Silverstream System and other complementary products and services, and MMHE will become an approved installation provider of the air lubrication technology.
The collaboration will also see Silverstream provide technical and commercial support to assist MMHE in securing contracts, including the provision of initial efficiency saving estimates and system design information on proposed installations.
In particular, MMHE will collaborate with Silverstream Technologies to support LNG carrier owners and operators by improving the efficiency of their vessels towards EEXI and CII compliance.
MMHE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB), has more than 45 years’ experience in delivering energy and marine solutions for a wide range of heavy engineering facilities and vessels.
In March 2022, Silverstream had an orderbook of 73 vessels valued at over $100 million. Vessel types include container ships, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, ro-ros and cruise ships.
Silverstream’s air lubrication system creates a carpet of microbubbles that coat the entire flat bottom of the vessel, reducing frictional resistance between the hull and the water. The technology works in all maritime conditions, is not weather dependent and does not constrain or negatively impact the normal operational profile of the vessel.
The company is a contributing partner to the CHEK Project (deCarbonising sHipping by Enabling Key technology symbiosis on real vessel concept designs), a European Union Horizon 2020 project demonstrating solutions for decarbonising international shipping. It is advising on the implementation of air lubrication technology onboard two new vessels, a cruise ship and a bulk carrier, which are expected to sail at the end of 2022.
