TMC Compressors (TMC) has won a contract from Fincantieri to supply an environmentally friendly compressed air system to the first of three cruise ships the Italian shipbuilder is building for Virgin Voyages, according to a press release.

TMC will provide a highly energy efficient compressed air system to Fincantieri for the Virgin Voyages ships. 

TMC’s Smart Air compressors offer 50 percent energy saving compared to conventional compressors, the company said.

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  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. Contract value is undisclosed.

“Virgin Voyages wants a strong environmental profile for their new cruise ship. This is a good match for our Smart Air technology, which I believe was a key reason for why TMC was chosen for this project. We have also supplied our compressed air systems to numerous other Fincantieri new-builds, so they are familiar with the reliability of our technology,” said Per Kjellin, managing director of TMC.

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.”