Amer Shipping takes a step forward with an electric shaft generator on the MS Johannes Sr
The new dry cargo ship MS Johannes Sr, built at Ruijtenberg Shipyard, combines an advanced hull design with an innovative power system that makes the ship more efficient, quieter, and more sustainable. The new electric shaft generator designed by Hydromarine for this ship plays a key role in this.
Innovative and sustainable inland waterway vessel
The MS Johannes Sr is a 110-meter dry cargo ship with a load capacity of over 3,200 tons. Thanks to its optimized hull design, it experiences less drag and achieves higher cruising speeds with lower fuel consumption. This efficiency gain is further enhanced by the electric shaft generator, which captures energy from the main engine’s reverse gear while the ship is underway. This technology can operate in parallel with or instead of traditional auxiliary generators and offers three concrete benefits.
Advantages of an electric shaft generator
1. Diesel savings
The electric shaft generator delivers immediate diesel savings, as the onboard electrical systems no longer depend on a separate diesel genset with its own efficiency losses. The main engine now supplies both propulsion power and onboard electricity in a highly efficient way, significantly reducing the vessel’s total fuel consumption.
2. Lower maintenance requirements
Maintenance needs are also reduced considerably. Because the operating hours of the conventional diesel generator drop sharply, wear and tear decrease — leading to fewer maintenance stops. For a vessel operating intensively across European waterways, this results in a clear operational advantage.
3. Remaining power used to charge the battery system
The remaining power output of the main engine can be used to charge the onboard batteries, enabling MS Johannes Sr to operate with low emissions during layovers and port operations. This directly supports Amer Shipping’s wider sustainability ambition to reduce the ecological footprint of its fleet.
A leader in inland shipping
With this combination of modern shipbuilding and smart energy technology, Amer Shipping reaffirms its position as a leading and forward-thinking player in inland shipping. The MS Johannes Sr demonstrates that innovation and efficiency can go hand in hand.
