In International Shipping News 04/06/2015
Recent developments in battery technology and ship electrii- cation hold signiicant promise for more eficient use of energy, energy recovery and use of renewables.
Narve Mjøs, Director Battery Services & Projects
All electric ships and hybrid ships with energy storage in large batteries with optimised power control can signiicantly reduce fuel costs, maintenance and emissions. Additionally, increased ship responsiveness and improved regularity and safety in critical situations are obtained. Power generation units can be smaller or fewer and optimised for a more average (not peak) load, and thereby reducing investment costs. Batteries can store energy harvested from waste heat recovery, regenerative braking of cranes and renewable energy. Additionally, they can improve propulsion systems based on LNG and other environ- mental friendly fuels and improve the performance of emission abatement technologies.
Major maritime power system providers are now offering new battery based solutions. The last year DNV GL trained more than 100 participants in our introduction course to maritime battery systems. We facilitated the establishment of the Maritime Battery Forum that already has 45 members from cargo and ship owners, yards and vendors as well as governmental agencies. Furthermore, DNV GL has established Green Coastal Shipping Program with the vision to establish the world’s most effective and environmentally friendly coastal shipping though enhanced public-private collaboration.
We are at an early stage with battery powered ships. There is a large interest among stake holders and the number of ships with battery technology is rapidly increasing world- wide. In Norway, inancial support for realization of electric and hybrid ships can be made available from sources such as Innovation Norway, Enova and the NOx-Fund.
Battery powered ships in various segments need validation of economy, safety and reliability.
As this is successfully achieved we will see a signii- cant market penetration and thereby large environ- mental savings.
At DNV GL we believe that the ground work has been laid for batteries to thrive in the shipping and offshore sectors – and we invite you to come and take the next steps together with us.
OVERVIEW OF USE OF BATTERIES IN SHIPS
The first golden age of electric-powered boats was in the period from 1890 to 1920, at which time petrol-driven motors became dominant. The Bergen Elektriske Færgeselskap (BEF) company was founded in 1894 and a fleet of small electric passenger boats started to operate in Bergen harbour. The last boat with electric propulsion was converted to use petrol and later diesel in 1926. However, the circle is now closed as the new all-electric ship the Beffen will start to operate in 2015.
It is the huge development in lithium-ion batteries over the past few years and, in particular, the adop- tion of high-quality batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles and large-scale grid systems that have now made battery systems a viable option for maritime applications.
Canadian-based company Corvus Energy, estab- lished in 2009, has been a pioneer in the maritime market for battery systems. The FellowSHIP research programme, headed by DNV GL, ordered the irst big battery system from Corvus Energy for a hybrid installation on the Eidesvik-owned offshore supply
vessel Viking Lady. The 500kWh battery was installed in 2013 and an extensive monitoring programme has produced valuable efficiency and emission data well documenting the benefits of battery systems in such an application. The irst new-built offshore supply vessel with a battery system installed was the Østensjø-owned Edda Ferd that was put into operation in the autumn of 2013.
One of the irst offshore vessel to install a battery energy storage system as a commercial retroit solution will be the Eidesvik vessel Viking Queen. The commercialization of this ground-breaking technology has been greatly facilitated by the R&D project FellowSHIP, where the partners have worked on bat- tery technology for ive years. The initiative has been made possible by targeted cooperation between Eidesvik and Lundin Norway AS, which has the vessel on hire. The batteries will be supplied by ZEM AS.
In the ferry segment, several ships (both newbuild and retrofit) have been equipped with large battery systems in a hybrid configuration. The biggest instal- lation so far is the 2.7MWh battery system installed on Scandlines’ Prinsesse Benedicte, the ferry operating between Shælland in Denmark and Puttgarden in Germany. The Prinsesse Benedicte’s three sister ships have now also been equipped with similar battery systems.
Eidesvik will install a 650kWh/1.6MW battery system on board the Viking Queen. This will be one of the irst offshore vessels to have such a system installed as a commercial retroit solution, showing that it is possible for existing vessels to achieve a signiicant reduction in emissions too.
The first large-size all-electric battery-powered car ferry, Norled’s Ampere, came into operation in January 2015. This 120-car and 350-passenger ferry is equipped with a 1MWh battery system. Quick charging takes place during the 10-minute period
between each trip and at night time. The Norwegian parliament has decided that all new invitations for ferry tenders in Norwegian waters shall if possible request zero- or low-emission propulsion technology. Based on this decision, a number of new all-electric or hybrid-battery ferry projects are expected in Norway in the next few years.
