2024A-OS7-8 On the Powering Performance Trials of the GATERS Project Target Ship "M/V ERGE"

Abstract

This paper presents the summary and main findings of the Sea Trials conducted within the recently completed Horizon-2020 EU Project GATERS (GATE Rudder System as a Retrofit for the Next Generation Propulsion and Steering of Ships) 1). The project involved the retrofitting of an existing 90m general Cargo vessel M/V ERGE with the recently introduced novel energy-saving device (ESD), the Gate Rudder System (GRS) and demonstrating performance gain through full-scale trials and in-service performance measurements 2). The purpose of the paper is to give an overall review of the power-speed sea trials of this Innovation Action (IA) project conducted by 18 European partners during 2021-24. Although the results were not presented in this paper, the trials also included manoeuvring and underwater radiated noise (URN) measurements.