Thordon Bearings and Wärtsilä have joined forces to launch the Blue Ocean Alliance, aiming to revolutionize ship design and environmental protection by developing a sterntube-less ship concept.
“The Blue Ocean Alliance brings together a formidable partnership to develop and further promote the concept. The fact that several ship owners have already shown interest in this solution is extremely encouraging,” stated Anna Galoni, CEO of Thordon Bearings.
This innovative design eliminates the need for oil-lubricated sterntube seals and bearings, potentially saving ship owners significant capital and operational costs. The sterntube-less design could reduce dry-dock realignment or bearing and seal replacement from two weeks to a single day while the vessel is afloat.
“The T-BOSS concept introduces a new approach to a merchant vessel’s aft layout – removing the sterntube casing, employing seawater for lubrication and creating a dry chamber to permit in-water maintenance for the first time. These innovations enable ship owners and shipyards to eliminate propeller shaft oil emissions, simplify maintenance and lower operational costs,” added Anna Galoni.
The concept, called T-BOSS (Thordon-Blue Ocean Stern Space), features Thordon’s COMPAC Split Seawater-Lubricated Aft Bearing and Wärtsilä Enviroguard Seal, ensuring environmentally friendly and maintenance-free operation for up to five years. This groundbreaking initiative is backed by maritime experts, including ABS and SDARI.
“The Blue Ocean Alliance and the sterntube-less ship design promise to revolutionize the way that ships are built and operated, delivering cost savings and efficiency improvements,” explained Rob Burford, vice president of Shaft Line Solutions at Wärtsilä.
