Engineers involved with the design of naval vessels are coming under growing pressure to consider environmental sustainability as an important part of the design process. This paper describes the MOD Naval Design Partnering (NDP) Team’s vision for the design of a vessel around the principle of increased environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. To this end, the Future Environmentally-Sensitive Warship (FESW) has been developed as a 95-metre patrol ship concept design for the year 2035. The concept has made use of many novel technologies in order to limit its environmental impact including a wave-piercing bow, natural fibre composite materials and fuel cell technology. The project demonstrates the feasibility of such a design, and how future naval ships can continue to operate effectively whilst being environmentally sustainable. A realistic balance has been achieved between the innovative use of existing design ideas and futuristic new technologies. It is hoped that this paper will help to shift the spotlight onto naval ship sustainability and demonstrate the possibilities of new and emerging technologies in propulsion, materials and the powering of naval vessels.
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