Transport: Advanced and Modular

Project Information

TrAM

Grant agreement ID: 769303

DOI

10.3030/769303

Project closed

EC signature date 12 June 2018

Start date 1 September 2018

End date 28 February 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 14 662 856,31

EU contribution

€ 11 741 430,63

Coordinated by

ROGALAND FYLKESKOMMUNE
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - TrAM (Transport: Advanced and Modular)

Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The challenge to create solutions for low-cost environmentally friendly transport is reflected in public policy on a national, European and a global level. As a part of the European Commission’s Energy Union and the 2050 Energy Strategy, clean energy technologies (including infrastructure), is key priority.

TrAM’s main mission is to develop and validate a concept for waterborne transport by implementing modular design and production methods, with a main focus on electrically powered vessels operating in protected waters (coastal areas and inland waterways). The project will lead to 25% lower construction costs and 70% reduction in engineering hours for new vessels, operating with zero emissions.

The project will develop a toolkit of methods and software tools to be used by the industry when designing and constructing inshore vessels: Passenger ferries (with alternative passenger/speed configurations), vessels for cargo transport on inland waterways, and workboats. The proposed modular concept is validated and refined through a demonstrator and replicators, of which one will be a physically built, zero emissions high-speed passenger ferry that will service a multi-stop commuter route into the city of Stavanger in Rogaland County.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Through a detailed review of limitations and route requirements for the three use-cases (Stavanger, London and Belgium) in the TrAM project, the project has established requirements that has functioned as a starting point for the design of these vessels.

Parametric optimisation analyses have been performed for the Stavanger Demonstrator use-case, and has been progressed also for the London replicator in reporting period 2. The target for the project is to significantly improve the energy consumption per passenger compared to traditional fast-ferries, and the hull optimazation analyses are therefore a very important part of achieving this target. Tank testing of 2 different hull designs have been completed in two testing campaigns at HSVA's towing tank, confirming the efficiency in both hull design and propulsion system.

The main driver for achieving the goals of reducing engineering hours and production cost for vessels built with the TrAM methodology, is to modularise both the design and the production. The TrAM project has worked towards modularising the vessel in a way that will both enable re-use of design and components, standardising interfaces between modules, as well as proving the modularisation to be practical and economical for the industrial partners. The TrAM vessel has been divided into several macro-modules that again has been split into several of micro-modules. Parts of these proposed modularisation methods are beeing incorporated into the ongoing production of the Stavanger Demonstrator.

The Stavanger Demonstrator vessel is currently under production, with a planned delivery spring 2022.

The land-side charging infrastructure design is concluded and construction work started autumn 2021. The planned completion is spring 2022, ahead of the delivery of the Stavanger Demonstrator.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Developing methods for design and production of zero-emission inshore vessels has a large potential impact to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a global basis. Many national and regional governments are already including greenhouse gas emissions as one of the criteria for awarding transportation contracts. The market is therefore in rapid development and obtaining the reduction in cost targeted by the TrAM project will further accelerate this development.

Being the first fully electric passenger fast-ferry (>20 kn) in the world, the TrAM Stavanger Demonstrator will become the state-of-the-art demonstrator for future zero-emission fast-ferries. In addition to developing the technologically complex demonstrator, the TrAM project also targets to improve the land-side infrastructure for this type of vessels. We will develop state-of-the-art charging facilities that are designed for protected harbour architecture, as well as developing the smart interface with other mobility services on land.

The TrAM project is on schedule for delivering the world’s first fully electrical fast-ferry in regular route traffic from 2022, and to have designs ready for two replicator use-cases in London and in Belgium. All vessels will be developed using the TrAM developed methods for modular design and production, enabling significant future cost savings for similar vessel.

Superstructure loadout at Leirvik

3D drawing from front

Stavanger Demonstrator hull during production

3D drawing from side