(Information sent by the signatory company)
The presentation of the 100% electric CASTALIA vessel from the company Consulmar marks a global milestone as it is the first zero-emission multipurpose vessel designed to support various port activities. The presentation was made within the framework of the 1st Economy and Sustainability Conference on Decarbonization of Ports and the Logistics Sector organized by the PortCastelló Foundation.
The new zero-emission vessel is 12.50 meters long and 5 meters wide and will support various port activities that Consulmar carries out in the Port of Castellón such as mooring and unmooring of ships, collection of MARPOL liquid and solid waste, the transport of personnel and supplies, as well as the fight against maritime pollution.
Under the design and construction of the Sym Naval company, the CASTALIA has two 240 kW engines, 500 kWh lithium batteries, an operational autonomy of 10 hours, space for 12 passengers, liquid waste collection capacity of 30m³ and a 3 ton trailer pull. Additionally, it integrates a digitalization system that allows remote monitoring, knowing at all times from the base its autonomy and other relevant data.
The CASTALIA is part of a broader environmental sustainability project that the company Consulmar is carrying out in the Port of Castellón with the generation of electricity from renewable photovoltaic sources in its facilities to power the boats and electric vehicles in its fleet. The CASTALIA is the second 100% electric zero-emission boat that the company has, since for more than a year it has been operating another smaller one intended for cleaning the sheet of water and which underwent a transformation of its motorization, going from combustion engine propulsion to electric propulsion with zero carbon emissions. Between them, more than 200 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere will be avoided annually.
Today’s ceremony was presided over by the President of the Consulmar Group, Ramón Zubiaga, and the President of Sym Naval, Francisco Lage, with the assistance of the President of the Port of Castellón, Rubén Ibañez, the Maritime Captain, Miguel Ángel Gómez Ruiz, and various authorities and personalities of the port community.
The president of Consulmar addressed the attendees, expressing his commitment to sustainable development in port activity. According to Zubiaga “we are committed to the environment in which we carry out our activities and we will put all our efforts into carrying out an energy transition in the coming years driven by technological innovation. Without a doubt, the technology already exists, and now we have to find the appropriate economic framework to, with the help of the Administrations, be able to reach the total decarbonization of our port operations in the coming years.”
The vessel, now operational, marks a before and after in the decarbonization of auxiliary activities supporting the ship in port, since it is demonstrated that these activities where the work autonomy by distance or time is not necessarily long and where There are frequent periods of inactivity that allow the batteries to be charged, 100% electric propulsion is feasible.
Francisco Lage of the Sym Naval Shipyard was asked about the technology and cost of a vessel of these characteristics. “The design and construction has been a technological challenge that we have managed to overcome and we are very confident in the robustness of the propulsion technology developed. The initial cost represents 20% – 30% more than that of a conventionally powered boat, but this difference is amortized in a short time due to the lower maintenance cost of this type of electric boat and its lower operating cost, without taking into account the “sustainability benefits that this technology brings compared to traditional combustion propulsion.”
The president of Consulmar concluded his speech by stating “Today we have marked a global milestone with the commissioning of this vessel, demonstrating that port services can be carried out without emitting greenhouse gases and that what we recently believed was the future, It’s here and it works. We are very proud to have done our part for a more environmentally friendly future, hoping to motivate other companies to follow this path and the Administration to facilitate it.”
About CONSULMAR
The CONSULMAR group, founded in 1956 with headquarters in Bilbao, is made up of various companies specialized in offering maritime services in Spain, Morocco and Guinea Bissau. Among the services provided in various ports are services with port boats and barges such as mooring of ships, transportation of people and materials, Marpol waste collection, the fight against marine pollution, the supply of water and lubricants, as well as other activities such as the operation of hydrocarbon terminals, ship consignment and shipping agency.
About NAVAL SYM
SYM Naval, based in Vilanova i la Geltrú as well as the Dominican Republic, Peru and Panama, is a shipyard founded in 2011, recognized for its specialization in the construction, conversion and repair of port vessels and merchant vessels. Its experience, commitment to excellence and a strong inclination towards innovation and development have consolidated it as an international reference in shipbuilding.
Contact information:
CONSULMARAsis TrincadoTel. (34) 944 800 375Móvil (34) 628 493 256 www.consulmar.es
SYM NAVALSamuel GomezTel. ( 34) 934 910 450 Mobile ( 34) 600 620 981 sgomez@sym-naval.com www.sym-naval.com
