Thordon Bearings and Wärtsilä launch sustainable ship design partnership

Two Green Marine partners, Thordon Bearings and Wärtsilä, have teamed up to launch the Blue Ocean Alliance with the aim of sustainably revolutionizing ship design. Their partnership is focused on reducing pollution and lowering operational costs by eliminating stern tubes with their new concept.

Having ships without stern tubes would eliminate the need for their oil-lubricated seals and bearings, which would result in significant environmental benefits and cost savings.

“The Blue Ocean Alliance brings together a formidable partnership to develop and further promote the concept,“ Anna Galoni, Thordon Bearings’ CEO, says. “The fact that several ship owners have already shown interest in this solution is extremely encouraging.”

Classification society the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Green Marine partner, and the Laboratory of Maritime Transport at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) are among the industry leaders in the newly formed alliance.

With approval from ABS, the concept promises faster and more efficient maintenance, with tasks completed afloat in a single day instead of weeks in dry dock. The innovative T-BOSS (Thordon - Blue Ocean Stern Space) system, developed by the ship designer SDARI and Thordon, replaces traditional stern-tube cooling tanks with dry chambers, simplifying maintenance while reducing emissions.

Thordon's seawater-lubricated COMPAC system, combined with Wärtsilä's Enviroguard Seal, ensures reliability and longevity without the need for shaft withdrawal. This approach reduces operational costs and improves environmental sustainability.