Georg Schmidt, the German Ambassador to South Korea, recently praised the SV Juren Ae for its revolutionary combination of wind, solar and conventional diesel power, which was a great achievement of international cooperation between Germany and South Korea. This new wind-powered supply vessel, introduced as the first of its kind in the Marshall Islands, aims to revolutionize domestic shipping in terms of reducing emissions, as well as doubling as an effective training tool.
“Juren Ae” is a Marshallese term that refers to the main paddles of a traditional canoe, a staple in the history of the entire Pacific region. This is the name of the futuristic vessel that recently arrived at its future home port of Majuro, all the way from South Korea. The sailing supply vessel was built on Geoje Island in South Korea as part of a complex project funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
The project “Transition to low-carbon shipping in the Republic of the Marshall Islands” was led by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and included partners such as the ship design company Kostec from Busan, Asia Shipbuilding and the Emden-Leer University of Applied Sciences in Germany. This university played an important role, as the ship design was developed on its maritime campus.
The SV Juren Ae was designed with the ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 80% compared to conventional vessels in the same category. Perhaps the most striking feature of this 157-footer (48 meters) is the so-called Indosail-Sailing Rig. It may look familiar to some because it is inspired by the traditional Indonesian sail design that is also found on some luxury charter sailing yachts. However, it is a modern and optimized version of the traditional design.
The original Indosail system was originally developed in Hamburg, for Indonesia, by German engineer Peter Schenzle (HSVA). Jure Ae presents a version of this partially automated system, adapted to the local requirements of the Marshall Islands.
As a hybrid vessel, Juren Ae is also equipped with a high-endurance battery pack for storage and a propeller designed to use excess sailing power, feeding it into the onboard electrical system. The attached generator involved in this process is also designed to double as an electric motor for slow, emissions-free maneuvers. Finally, a diesel engine has been added as a redundancy engine only: it ensures the vessel’s minimum speed of seven knots even in particularly rough sea conditions or when sailing propulsion is compromised.
A dedicated photovoltaic system ensures the on-board power supply and, together with all the other technical innovations, helps reduce CO2 emissions by 80% without compromising performance.
The Marshall Islands is seeking to transition to climate-friendly shipping as part of its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and ultimately achieve full decarbonization by 2050. In addition to its primary role as a cargo supply vessel, the new SV Juren Ae will also be used as a training platform for new maritime courses being introduced at the College of the Marshall Islands.