Berg to Supply Propulsion Kit for LDA's Wind-Assisted Airbus RoRos

Berg Propulsion has won a contract to deliver the hybrid propulsion solution for three wind-assisted Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Ro-Ro vessels.

Following delivery by China’s Wuchang Shipbuilding from 2026 onwards, the innovative vessels will carry Airbus A320 Family jetliner subassemblies from France to the final assembly line in the United States.

The ships have been designed by Deltamarin with the aim of halving fuel burn and CO2 emissions in transatlantic operations by 2030 compared to a 2023 baseline.

Wind power drawn from six Flettner rotor-sails on each ship’s deck will make a strong contribution to reduced emissions, with weather routing optimization software also in place to maximize wind-assisted time and minimize drag, according to Berg Propulsion.

In conventional mode, the ships will run on dual fuel methanol engines.

Aside from the complete propulsion train to work with each ship’s main engines, Berg Propulsion is supplying controllable pitch propellers with feathering capability.

“At LDA, our ambition is to lead the maritime industry through its energy transition. We must ensure that the solutions supporting our vision are the smartest available and that we can rely on our technology partners throughout a ship’s lifetime. BERG’s integrated propulsion system enables us to minimize fuel consumption and emissions,” said Arthur Barret, Head of Engineering, Project & Innovation Department, LDA.

Amrita Singh, Account Manager, BERG Propulsion, explained that the BERG hybrid solution allows main engines and electric motors to drive propulsion either independently or simultaneously so that the most efficient power option is used as a vessel’s operational needs change.

“The system works with alternative power sources, including wind. It’s key when integrating sails that they work seamlessly with propulsion controls so that adjustments can be made to thrust in any given weather and sea condition. In BERG’s solution, Dynamic Drive is integrated into the MPC800 control system, which delivers this capability without the operational complexity of additional hardware,” added Singh.