Electric Energy News

2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA bill—Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nation’s waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels…" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow…

Danfoss Power Solutions said its Editron division has been chosen to provide drivetrain systems for three hybrid passenger ferries that will operate on the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany. German shipyard Schiffbau- u. Entwicklungsgesellschaft Tangermünde mbH (SET) will build the vessels for Hamburg transportation company HADAG, expanding its fleet to 29 ships.Hamburg’s passenger ferry service is integral to its public transportation offering. With eight routes stopping at 20 different piers, the ferries are used by approximately 9 million passengers annually.

The installation on what is reported to be the world’s largest offshore converter station is being hailed by China Classification Society (CCS) as ‘a significant milestone’ in the development of deep-water wind power. CCS provided authentication and survey services for the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) Rudong offshore converter station, which is also an Asian first.CCS says the facility effectively addresses the challenges of large capacity and long-distance power transmission presented by offshore wind farms.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new raft of executive actions to combat climate change, including pausing new oil and gas leases on federal land and cutting fossil fuel subsidies, as he pursues green policies he billed as a boon for job creation.The orders map out the direction for the Democratic president's climate change and environmental agenda and reverse the policies of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to maximize U.S. oil, gas, and coal output by removing regulations and easing environmental reviews."In my view…

BAE Systems’ HybriGen technology is creating a path to zero emissions.The rise in planet-warming greenhouse gases is driving a need for cleaner transportation on the ground, in the air and on the water. Leaders in the marine industry are taking note, and vessel operators are making the move to green power and propulsion systems.BAE Systems is creating a path to cleaner harbors and waterways with its HybriGen Power and Propulsion system. The system has three configurations to provide operators with options on their way to zero emissions.

Volvo Penta to power three hybrid and hybrid-ready ferries currently being built at GS Marine Production AS. GS Marine is currently building a new ferry for Faroe Island operator, Standfaraskip Landsins. This ferry will have a speed of 20 knots and be powered by two of Volvo Penta’s engines. The D13-700 IMO III engines have a power output of 515kW at 2,250 rpm and will be coupled with a Brunvoll hybrid control system – allowing the vessel to run on the engines or electric alone, and even both in unison.

The maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register has been brought in to coordinate REShiP (Renewable Energy Ship Propulsion) project to research and develop renewable energy ship propulsion technologies.REShiP  started in April 2019 with the aim of identifying the best solutions connected with the shipboard installation of an innovative power generation system for propulsion and on-board use, with an almost total reduction of both pollutants and noise emitted.The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the framework of the Regional Operational Program (2014-2020) of the Italian Region Friuli Venezia Giulia.The project activities are aligned with the IMO - International Maritime Organization – Regulations concerning the limits on NOx…

Israel-based renewable energy projects developer Enlight Renewable Energy (ERE) along with its Serbian partner New Energy Solutions has officially opened its Kovacica windfarm in Serbia.The opening ceremony of the Wind farm was held in the municipality of Kovacica in the presence of the Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic, Alona Fisher-Kamm the Ambassador of  Israel, the Representatives of the owners,  ERE, and its Serbian partner, New Energy Solutions.Kovacica clean power plant operates with 38 installed wind turbines, with the total power of 104,5 megawatts.The farm shall be producing clean electric energy for over 68,000 households…

California Dreamin': In CA, offshore wind has unlimited potentialWhen it comes to States promoting renewable, non-fossil electricity generation, California surely leads the list, from utility-scale regional grids to individual rooftop solar panels.In fact, a December 2018 update from the California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates the state may already have exceeded an initial renewable generation goal of 33% by 2020. CEC estimates that in 2018 that generation number was already 34%.

The challenges and opportunities posed by alternative fuels, safety management and social media dominated Interferry’s 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, where a record 370 delegates shared insights on ship technologies, safety issues including cyber security and the customer experience. Attendance at last week’s conference represented 210 ferry operators and suppliers from 27 countries. Mediterranean ferry operators voiced their concerns on meeting the 0.5 percent sulphur emissions cap due in 2020. Minoan Lines managing director Antonios Maniadakis complained that using low sulphur fuel would increase costs by €2 million per year.

Interferry has unveiled a strategic plan promising to put safety issues at the heart of its work as the voice of the worldwide ferry industry. The pledge came at the global trade association’s 41st annual conference in Manila – a venue chosen to spotlight the challenges of domestic ferry safety in developing nations. According to Interferry, the plan signals its overriding ambition to help lift ferry safety in all parts of the world to the very high standard already in place in North America and Europe, where casualties in recent decades have been extremely rare.

The marine industry is now recognizing the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems. Certain maritime sectors are potentially well suited to hybrid systems. These include ferries, pilot boats and workboats that have relatively consistent duty cycles. For military applications, hybrid systems are relevant for patrol, intercept and autonomous vessel duties. Submarines have utilized batteries and stored energy for many years. Diesel/electric systems have long been in use, but these are not hybrid systems.

Press release - Becker Marine Systems and KOTUG signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a LNG Hybrid Barge in the Port of Rotterdam with effect from June 2017. The LNG Hybrid Barge, a floating energy plant, is designed to provide environmentally friendly power for ships in ports. The LNG Hybrid Barge will deliver clean energy to moored cruise ships and contributes to a cleaner environment. It is an alternative for producing electricity in the traditional way by either their generator sets or their main engines.

Processing of steel for Hull 483 started on sheet-cutting machine in Shipbuilding Industry Split on 22 September 2015. It is the largest square-rigged ship contracted for a Monaco buyer, the company Star Clippers Ltd. It will be 162 meters long and 18.5 meters wide, with deadweight of 2000 tons, five masts and sails with overall surface of 6.347 square meters. The type of Clipper sailing boat with such sail-plan is called barque. Marine platform that will be at the the stern will be equipped with the mechanism for opening and lowering until the sea level so that the passengers will have the direct sea access. The ship will have steel construction while the deck will be fully covered by the highest quality teak.

In 2015 two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. First, the new emissions laws in ports and second, there is now an incentive for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries. Hybrid is ‘here and now’ technology that is being utilized by many industries around the world. The marine industry is now recognizng the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems for vessels in the sub IMO / sub 24 meter (80 feet) professional sector.

Hybrid marine power and propulsion systems for workboats isn’t farfetched. In fact, it may be essential. In 2015, two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. The new emissions laws – here and abroad – and the incentives for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries are the primary drivers. That said; dramatically reducing pollution in both water and…

Vancouver-based Water Wall Turbine Inc. (WWT) has selected The Switch to provide a 500 kW full-power converter for its self-floating power plant. This new system extracts potential and kinetic energy from large, fast moving water currents for conversion into electric energy. The Switch will supply its first 500 kW full-power converter in October 2014 for WWT’s prototype project, which will be used for the Dent Island Resort, near Vancouver Island off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. System testing of the integrated equipment is planned for the first quarter of 2015.

Braemar Adjusting continues its development and expansion, with the recruitment of experienced loss adjusters and new young talent across the globe. New staff have boosted the adjusting teams in the firm’s London, Singapore and Calgary offices as the company continues to enhance its onshore and offshore expertise. Grant Smith, Braemar Adjusting Group Managing Director, said: “These latest four appointments further emphasise our focus on providing excellent client service through the expertise of our personnel.

An Office of Naval Research (ONR) supported enterprise brings sweeping changes to electric power & energy education at U.S. universities. “The number of power engineers in the United States is dwindling just when the Navy and the country as a whole need them most,” said Dr. Peter Cho, a program officer in ONR’s Ship Systems and Engineering Research Division who is overseeing the project. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has used a set of aggressive goals to guide the service toward renewable power as well as electric ships and weapons.

NYK and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. are to begin experiments on an air-lubrication system to reduce CO2 emissions during marine transport. Jointly developed by the two companies, the system effectively reduces the frictional resistance between a vessel's bottom and the seawater by means of bubbles generated by supplying air to the vessel's bottom. The installation of the system using an air-blower is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 10 percent. The experiments will be conducted using module carriers operated by an NYK Group company, NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd. Module carriers are special heavy load carrier with roll-on…

MarineNews is pleased again this year to showcase the thoughts and opinions of workboat industry luminaries and executives, including: Terry Becker, President, Riverway Co.; Larry Daily, President, Alter Barge Line, Inc.; Cherrie Felder, Vice President, Channel Shipyard Companies; William D. Friedman, Executive Director, Ports of Indiana; Berdon Lawrence, Chairman, Kirby and Peter H. Stephaich, Chairman of Campbell Transportation Company, Inc., and C&C Marine Maintenance, Inc. President Riverway Co. For those who may not be familiar with Riverway Co., we are a "medium" sized barge line that operates approximately 500 barges and eight line haul towboats, moving dry bulk commodities primarily on the Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway.

Two Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) and one multi-functional Offshore Vessel (OSV) with Voith Schneider Propellers will enter service in the North Sea over the next two years. Each of these special ships for the oil and gas industry will be installed with two Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP). Unlike the two 278-ft. ships with identical design, the third one, measuring over 305 ft. in length, will be additionally fitted with a moonpool. This allows launching the on-board submarine robots. They carry out control and repair jobs at extreme water depths. The three vessels are owned by the Norwegian shipowner Østensjø AS. The two 279.5 ft. PSVs with a width of 63 ft. and a draft of 21.3 ft. are currently being built at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Gondan.