<p data-path-to-node="2">Driving a fundamental shift toward zero-emission port logistics, the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority has officially commissioned <i data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="141">Rasa</i>, a 42-meter commercial waste collection tanker powered entirely by green hydrogen and battery storage. The custom-built vessel enters active service with no fossil-fuel backup systems on board, representing a major engineering milestone for the Baltic Sea maritime corridor.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">The €12 million deployment is structurally tied to the port’s regulatory environment, which mandates that all arriving and departing commercial ships transfer their onboard waste before exiting the harbor limits.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="5"><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="0">Inside the 42-Meter Zero-Emission Tanker Layout</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="6">The vessel is custom-configured to run intensive, around-the-clock port service operations without relying on traditional diesel generator infrastructure:</p><ul data-path-to-node="7"><li><p data-path-to-node="7,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Storage Capacities:</b> The tanker is equipped to collect, store, and transport up to 400 cubic meters of liquid waste, including ship bilge water, sludge, sewage, and harbor stormwater.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Propulsion and Battery Matrix:</b> The powertrain integrates twin electric motors backed by a high-capacity 2,000 kWh battery storage bank alongside a specialized onboard hydrogen fuel cell system.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Continuous Operation Windows:</b> The integrated power management platform enables up to 36 hours of continuous runtime on a single charging cycle, maintaining a standard operational speed of 10 knots.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Onboard Filtration Loops:</b> The vessel features advanced onboard bilge water treatment equipment, allowing pre-treated water to be safely channeled directly into municipal wastewater grids upon docking.</p></li></ul><h3 data-path-to-node="9"><b data-path-to-node="9" data-index-in-node="0">Cross-Border Shipbuilding and Technology Integration</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="10">The construction of <i data-path-to-node="10" data-index-in-node="20">Rasa</i> was executed via a strategic joint venture combining maritime engineering networks from Lithuania and Estonia. Western Baltija Shipbuilding, based locally in Klaipėda, fabricated the heavy steel hull, superstructure, wheelhouse, and primary liquid cargo handling systems.</p><p data-path-to-node="11">The vessel was then transferred to Estonia's Baltic Workboats yard on the island of Saaremaa, where technicians completed the outfitting of electric propulsion machinery, automation systems, and the advanced integration of the hydrogen fuel cell plant provided by technology firm Genevos.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="13"><b data-path-to-node="13" data-index-in-node="0">On-Site Green Hydrogen Production Architecture</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="14">To ensure the vessel operates on a genuinely sustainable supply chain, the tanker will be refueled directly via Klaipėda Port’s newly inaugurated green hydrogen production facility. The specialized on-site terminal relies on a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser powered by renewable electricity, producing roughly 127 tonnes of green hydrogen annually at full capacity.</p><p data-path-to-node="15">The port authority has earmarked approximately 25% of this total fuel output to supply its own green harbor fleet, creating an enclosed, low-emission ecosystem that eliminates the logistical costs and emissions of tracking and trucking hydrogen from external production plants.</p><p data-path-to-node="16">Commenting on the vessel's deployment, Algis Latakas, Director General of the Klaipėda Port Authority, stated:</p><blockquote data-path-to-node="17"><p data-path-to-node="17,0">"Rasa represents a significant shift in shipping, an investment in a cleaner future, and a new approach to port operations, where cutting-edge technologies and environmental responsibility become part of everyday activities."</p></blockquote><h3 data-path-to-node="19"></h3>