The vessel is optimized to sail at 10.5 knots in open water conditions, and the reserve power demanded for the 1A ice class is generated using a diesel-electric booster engine. When the vessel runs on MGO, its fuel consumption and emissions are around half those of conventional cargo ships in the same size class.
When the ship runs on waste-based biofuel, it releases no sulfur emissions and its carbon dioxide emissions are 75% lower.
The vessels have been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible in other regards: the hull is coated in non-toxic Ecospeed paint, which improves energy efficiency without requiring anti-fouling. The ship has systems for recovering the water used to wash the cargo holds and treating ballast water. Heat recovery, air conditioning solutions and LED lighting improve the energy efficiency of the living spaces. The first EcoCoaster vessels, the 5,000 DWT M/S Eeva VG and Mirva VG, have been operating since the end of 2016 in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe.
