Prof Dr Ir Agoes Santoso MSc MPhil MRINA (bottom left corner) and Dr Achmad Baidowi ST MT (bottom right corner) as supervisors with the Nawasena ITS team

ITS Campus, ITS News — The Nawasena Team from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) again gained proud achievements for the alma mater and the nation of Indonesia on the world stage. This time, the ITS Nawasena Team won first place in the 2024 International Student Design Competition organized by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) based in the United States.

The competition, held online from November 2023 and announced in June 2024, led the Nawasena Team, consisting of seven members, to design an innovative ferry called the MV Queen Nneka. The name Nneka, which means great mother in the Igbo (Nigerian) language, reflects the vessel’s goal to be the first safe and viable ferry on the Niger River, Nigeria, as well as the future ferry mothership in the region.

General Manager of ITS Nawasena Team, Quito Abian Iqtarib, explained that the ferry is designed to sail on the Niger River, which is intensively producing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). “We designed this ship to be environmentally friendly, especially for the river ecosystem,” explained this ITS Marine Engineering student.

The young man, also the head of the competition team, explained that his team designed a ship that aligns with the country’s goal of producing CNG, which is more environmentally friendly than diesel. The boat is also equipped with solar panels for some tools, but most power is still sought using CNG. “We don’t want this ship to cause big waves and disturb small fishing boats in the vicinity,” added Abian, his nickname.

Nawasena ITS Team’s MV Queen Nneka Ship Design which won first place at the 2024 International Student Design Competition held by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association

All competition preparations are carried out online, from technical meetings and webinars to the collection of design results. This year’s WSFA is in collaboration with the Interferry Conference 2024, so the Nawasena ITS team and other winners will later be invited to Marrakesh, Morocco, on October 26-30, 2024, to present their designs and attend the awards ceremony.

Abian revealed that the team’s main challenge was the time difference with the organizers in the United States. “We often had to join webinars at midnight. In addition, as the chairman in Germany (following a joint degree program), he explained that I had to communicate more with the team to ensure good coordination,” he explained.

(from left) Afwan Izzul Muttaqin, Raif Adhi Ramadhan, Nita Wahyuni, Dwi Puspitasari, Muhammad Fahri Ramadhan, Quito Abian Iqtarib, Dewi Diaz Gitasari, and Rafi Maulana from the ITS Nawasena Team

After the competition, the Nawasena team conducted technical and non-technical evaluations to improve performance in future competitions. Abian hopes the Nawasena ITS team can achieve its goal of being a research team that provides innovation in the maritime world. “I hope Nawasena can be a forum for team members to develop technically and managerially, develop together, and succeed together,” he concluded.

The Nawasena ITS team has proven its readiness to design ferries and continue to innovate for a better future in the maritime field. This achievement is expected to inspire ITS and Indonesian students to continue to excel in the international arena. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Nabila Rahadatul Aisy Koestriyaningrum
Translator: Lael Soebakir