Smart Air on board Virgin Voyages | TMC

As part of TMC’s Smart Air month, we have explained what Smart Air is and the importance of good air quality, plus how you can save money and the environment through choosing the right compressor.

Earlier this year, TMC Compressors (TMC) won a contract from Fincantieri to supply an environmentally friendly Smart Air compressed air system to the first of three cruise ships the Italian shipbuilder is building for Virgin Voyages.

‘Changing business for good’

Virgin Voyages is on a mission to create the world’s most irresistible cruise line and is committed to ‘changing business for good’. They have a stated goal to work with partners that share their passion for creating a better world and reducing business impact on ecosystems and the environment.

Stuart Hawkins, Virgin Voyages SVP Marine, stated “We will continue to work together with Fincantieri to select great partners who share our vision to make a sea change. We are pleased to welcome TMC on board and excited that their system helps us to achieve our energy savings and ship efficiency goals.”

TMC will provide a highly energy efficient Smart Air compressed air system to Fincantieri for the Virgin Voyages ships. TMC’s Smart Air compressors offer significant energy saving compared to conventional compressors. This technology is a good match for the rest of the ship, which will be equipped with a range of equipment to reduce environmental impact. Virgin Voyages recently unveiled a cruise line first system that transforms low-grade energy into clean electricity through using the diesel engine’s waste heat. This 1 MW energy production system will, according to Virgin Voyages, result in an estimated reduction of 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide per year per ship.

Under the contract, TMC will manufacture and deliver 1 x 40 KW Smart Air compressor, 2 x 44 KW compressors, air driers and filters to the on board service and control air system. The equipment will be delivered to the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa), Italy.

“Virgin Voyages wants a strong environmental profile for their new cruise ship. This is a good match for our Smart Air technology,” says Per Kjellin, managing director of TMC.

The first ship is scheduled for delivery in 2020. Each of the three ships will be about 110,000 gross tons and will feature over 1,400 guest cabins that can host more than 2,700 passengers and 1,100 spirited crew members.

Smart Air month

Throughout November, which the company has called “Smart Air month”, TMC Compressors will look at many aspects of how ship owners and operators can reduce their environmental footprint, energy consumption and operational expenses.