MariLight is a feasibility study which aims to lightweight ship structure to reduce CO2 emissions and hence make the industry cleaner for the environment.

The expected outcomes from MariLight include a potential 13% vessel weight saving, which would in turn deliver global fleet savings of 7.7m tonnes of steel, over 90% manufacturing lead time reduction, 60% production fuel/energy savings and 20% reduction in production time. ”Lightweighting” also addresses challenges associated with the introduction of revolutionary green propulsion solutions by reducing the total power required to propel a vessel, whilst improving efficiency and increasing its range.

The project team, composed of experts from consortium partners Malin Marine Consultants (part of Malin Group), Altair Engineering, BAE Systems, Lloyd’s Register, and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), believe that the adoption of Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) will propel the marine fabrication industry towards advanced manufacturing. 

The ability to fabricate complex designs using LSAM will move the industry from conventional fabrication that requires labour-intensive, manual work, to an automated, more resilient, and flexible manufacturing route that lends itself to topology optimisation. The project will also develop a robust business case and cost analysis that quantifies the expected risks and opportunities associated with the transition to LSAM, and will capture the benefits in terms of costs, times, processes, and emission savings. One of the major obstacles to the adoption of printed marine components is the lack of clear rules and regulations regarding LSAM parts; project partner Lloyd’s Register will develop a regulatory framework as part of MariLight to address this. The project seeks to create a cleaner, more sustainable fabrication solution for the shipping industry.

You can read more on the key milestones, deliverables, and anticipated impact in our MariLight brochure.