At the heart of the FastShip integrated system is a revolutionary vessel with a ground-breaking hull design and a state-of-the-art propulsion system. The TG-770 FastShip is a semi-planing monohull powered by five marine gas turbines supplied by Rolls-Royce. Each turbine will drive a Rolls-Royce/Kamewa water jet, delivering a total of 220 megawatts or 295,000 horsepower—roughly equivalent to the takeoff power of two Boeing 747s. By contrast, however, one FastShip will carry about 90 times the maximum payload of a 747 operating over the same distance; in annual service on the North Atlantic, one FastShip is approximately seven “jumbo jet equivalents”. This propulsion power will enable our 860-foot FastShips, carrying a 10,000-ton payload, to make the passage between Philadelphia and Cherbourg in less than four days at speeds of up to 38 knots (44 mph). The advanced, patented hull form coupled with the propulsion package will enable our FastShips to maintain high speeds even under adverse weather conditions. This is the key to our being able to offer time-definite delivery. Other ships need to reduce speed in rough weather, making them inherently less reliable. Our FastShips can remain at speed even up to significant wave heights of 7.5 meters (conditions exceeded only 3% of the time on our North Atlantic route), allowing us to guarantee on-time arrival of the ships in our specialized terminals. As a result, we can synchronize terminal and inland connections around ship arrivals, enabling a continuous flow end-to-end and seamless on-time delivery for our customers. Another advantage of our hull design is the inherent stability we achieve with our wide beam, which permits stowage optimized for inland logistics requirements rather than to meet vessel stability requirements at sea. Importantly in this era of high fuel prices, the FastShip’s combination of power, speed, and payload result in a substantially lower fuel burn per tonne of freight transported than is the case for a 747 air freighter. This means our FastShip’s economic advantages are further enhanced as fuel prices rise. |
