The Hukka-5 from Alfa Laval is a next-generation exhaust gas steam boiler designed to enhance waste heat recovery on cruise vessels and passenger ferries.
Natural circulation has become the industry standard for exhaust gas steam boilers on cruise vessels, eliminating the need for circulation pumps by harnessing physical principles to move water through the boiler unit. With Hukka-5, Alfa Laval takes this technology further by introducing downward natural circulation.
The design enables counter-current flow conditions, even within the limited space of ship funnels, resulting in a minimized exhaust gas boiler (EGB) footprint. This minimizes the risk of flow instabilities in the evaporative circuits, even with exhaust gas temperature fluctuations which could be the case when using alternative fuels.
The result is a waste heat recovery solution designed to deliver optimal operational performance, enhanced safety and advanced energy efficiency on vessels with four-stroke engines, especially those with frequent port calls, such as cruise ships and passenger ferries.
“Our previous state-of-the-art WHR boiler, Aalborg XWi, set the standard for natural circulation on cruise vessels. Now, as the need for greater waste heat recovery grows, we are introducing the Hukka-5 and taking energy efficiency to the next level. Since every square meter matter on cruise ships, the new innovative inverted natural circulation design recovers more waste heat without increasing the footprint,“says Matti Takasuo, General Manager for BD & Sales for Power, Offshore & Cruise business line, Alfa Laval.
Hukka-5 is part of the “Hukka” exhaust gas steam boiler product range, together with Hukka-8. The range is compatible with engines and gas turbines running on all fuels, including methanol and hydrogen.
Inverted, downward natural circulation enables counter-current flow conditions, minimizing the exhaust gas boiler (EGB) footprint and eliminating the risk of flow instabilities in the evaporative circuits
Efficient heat generation
The Hukka-5 is designed to adapt to the operational needs of cruise vessels and passenger ferries. It offers seamless integration of electrical steam generation, without the need for additional pressure vessels or auxiliary/fired boilers, enabling efficient steam production during port stays when shore power is available. Additionally, the boilers modular design enables tailored configurations, including selectable multi-stage heat recovery solutions with optional condensing cold-end design, further improving installation’s energy efficiency.
Beyond energy savings, the modular approach leads the way to reducing costs, shortens lead times, and lowers the specific carbon footprint during construction. Hukka-5 is equipped with a vertical steam drum as a standard, for optimal layout design, free of ship orientation installation requirements.
Potential integration of electrical steam generation without additional pressure vessels, ideal for port stays where shore power is available for onboard electric heat generation
Maximizing waste heat recovery to reduce environmental impact
By capturing and reusing exhaust gas waste heat, the Hukka-5 enables cruise vessels and ferries to maximize energy utilization and minimize environmental impact. The advanced design ensures the possibilities to recover more energy from exhaust gases, reducing the need for additional fuel and lowering overall CO₂ emissions.
This not only supports compliance with increasingly stringent maritime regulations but also helps operators achieve their sustainability targets and lower the operating costs. With the Hukka-5, Alfa Laval continues to drive innovation in energy efficiency and environmental performance for the marine industry.
For more information www.alfalaval.com/marine.
Hukka-5 exhaust gas steam boiler launch video – YouTube Hukka-5 exhaust gas steam boiler launch video – YouTube
