The Nagapasa team, consisting of 10 students from the Department of Naval Architecture, Faculty of Engineering (FT), Universitas Indonesia (UI), won 3rd place in the prestigious 11th Annual International Student Design Competition, Safe Affordable Ferry Design Competition 2024, organized by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA), based in the United States. The team, comprised of Rifqianda Fadlurrahman, Muhammad Elvan Nawawi, Muhammad Akbar Ramsha Oetama, Vincent Collin, Daffa Sulaiman Kamil, Ken Nafilahshafa Sahatisae, Rawhul Ihsan Setyoko, Dzakiah Mardiah, Felicia Rachel Taruli Siregar, and Reisya Putri Ariyan, was mentored by Dr. Eng. Ir. Muhammad Arif Budiyanto, S.T., M.T., IPM. They designed an innovative ferry named MV Omnia: Safe & Affordable Ferry for the Niger River.
MV Omnia was designed with a flat monohull barge type and equipped with two CSI Ningdong DF170 dual-fuel marine generators with a capacity of 300 KW, allowing the ferry to reach a speed of 8.5 knots. “With a ship length of nearly 40 meters, an overall width of 16.01 meters, and a draft height of 1 meter, our design can accommodate 10 crew members, 170 passengers, 16 cars, and agricultural cargo. The ferry is built using a pre-cut concept, simplifying the transportation and assembly of the MV Omnia’s construction parts, significantly reducing production costs to an estimated $1.5 million,” explained Rifqianda, the team captain.
Not only is the MV Omnia cost-efficient, but it also features two standout innovations: an anti-piracy device equipped with a water jet gun and razor wire, as well as a ship monitoring system with long-range ship radar, weight monitoring sensors, and multi-vision surveillance cameras with infrared that can detect objects at medium distances. Powered by CNG diesel with an eco-friendly solar power supplement, the ferry is also equipped with a tilt-up thrustmaster, making maintenance and repairs more accessible. The total project production cost is $1,516,633.18, with operational costs amounting to $461,653.44.
The WFSA’s International Student Design Competition is an annual event aimed at supporting innovations for safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly ferries. In 2024, the competition focused on designing a Roll-on/Roll-off Passenger Ship (RoPax) to be used on the Niger River in Nigeria. The ferry had to be capable of operating in shallow waters in the Anambra State region of Southern Nigeria, serving routes from Onitsha Port to Idah Port and Ndoni Port. The vessel was designed to address specific challenges related to river conditions and local transportation needs. This year, the competition ran from December 2023 to May 2024, with winners announced online on June 20, 2024, in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Nagapasa UI team, along with other winners, has been invited to Morocco in October to receive their awards in person from the WFSA.
Acting Dean of FTUI, Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, MSc., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation for the achievement of the Naval Architecture students. He emphasized that as the world’s largest archipelagic country, with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia has immense maritime potential. In this context, Indonesia must play an active role in maritime innovation, and this achievement marks the beginning of that significant role. “The Nagapasa UI team demonstrated technical skills and innovation in providing relevant solutions to international issues,” said Prof. Mahmud.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
