Extreme E pushes green agenda with launch of ship for sea freight of cars and teams

The St Helena has had a port to stern refurb to make her ready to ship Extreme E teams and vehicles

New electric off-road racing series, Extreme E, is pushing its green agenda with the upcoming launch of the St. Helena, following an 18 month long refit making the ship suitable for the freight of cars and teams for the inaugural season starting in January 2021.

Extreme E secured exclusive use of the former Royal Mail ship in 2018 and since then it has undergone an extensive refurbishment process, which has included total overhaul of steelwork, engines, generators, propellors, interior and cabin space, and more, making it not only fit for purpose, but also as efficient as possible ahead of its new mission. The ship’s refurbishment is due to be completed in the next two months.

The St. Helena was selected by Extreme E as its freight and logistics hub due to her versatility and ability to carry a mixture of cargo, for example, the championship’s cars as well as team members; there are 62 cabins on board. The series chose to purchase the ship as moving the championship’s freight via sea will reduce emissions by two thirds in comparison to air freight.

A crew of over 30 people have been working on the ship while it has been based in dry dock at Cammel Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, Liverpool.

Austen Brunton, technical project manager at Wilson Ship Management, has been leading the project. He said: “Everything you see on the St. Helena has been touched. As a 30 year old ship she needed quite a lot of work to get her ready for her new role with Extreme E and some adaptions to make her suitable for both passenger and cargo use.”

The St. Helena started life as a Royal Mail ship for the island of St. Helena and was the only transportation for both people and cargo to and from Cape Town. Before an airport was built in 2016, the vessel was the only link to the outside world for the island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Even the original 20 square metre swimming pool of the St  Helena has been replaced with a Science Laboratory, to be used on route to racing locations; Extreme E looks to use its sporting platform to shine a spotlight on climate change issues, and solutions, around the world

The list of work that has gone into the refit is extensive, with 30 tonnes of steelwork added to repair damage, and also create new elements to the ship, for example, the original 20 square metre swimming pool has been replaced with a Science Laboratory, so research can be conducted en route. This is a key element of Extreme E which looks to use its sporting platform to shine a spotlight on climate change issues, and solutions, around the world.

Efficiency has been a major element of the refit. Her engines have been stripped and all components have been renewed or replaced and she will now run on low sulphur marine diesel, known as ‘Champagne’. The propellers have also been refurbished to reduce friction and improve efficiency. The outside has been repainted with the Extreme E logo emblazoned on the side. The underwater hull is painted in the most up-to-date red anti-fouling paint meaning it is kept clean and makes her more streamlined, which again reduces CO2 emissions.

The ship’s interior is now being upscaled and given a new lease of life, with the original interior panelling given a wooden vinyl overlay, 4,000 new low emission LED lights replace the old power intensive lighting, and there are new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The bridge – the control centre of the ship – has been fitted with the latest in navigational shipping technology including DGPS, radio and ultrasonic wind system.

Brunton concluded: “Seeing the St. Helena re-enter the water is a very proud moment for myself and all my team. We have spent 18 months working on her to get her into this condition and it has been great to see her finally back on the water, where she belongs. We still have some more work to do on the interior, but she is now preparing for her new lease of life in her career, with Extreme E.”

St. Helena Captain, Jari Lindgren, said: “The St. Helena is an iconic vessel and it is a privilege to be part of the team restoring her to original glory. As Captain, it’s also been an invaluable experience to get to know her inside out before we take her off around the world on her important new mission.

“She is a perfect logistics platform and Extreme E is setting a really good example of how ships can be refurbished for efficiency and given a new lease of life. This has been an important chapter, and we’re now really looking forward to the next stage and getting into full operation, and back to a life at sea.”