Electric Propulsion System News

MAN Energy Solutions reports it has received an order for three MAN 6L21/31DF-M (Dual Fuel-Methanol) GenSets capable of running on methanol in connection with the construction of a 7,990 dwt IMO Type II chemical bunker tanker.The dual-fuel engines will form part of a diesel-electric propulsion system on board the vessel with electrical motors driving twin fixed-pitch propellers via gearboxes; an onboard battery-storage system will optimize the use of the dual-fueled generators.

U.S. shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc (ESG) on Wednesday announced it is teaming up with Dutch shipbuilding group Royal IHC to design and construct a highly automated hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).The diesel-electric vessel, contracted for the Department of Defense, will be constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities in Florida for scheduled delivery in 2027.The new 6,000-cubic-yard-capacity medium-class hopper dredge (MCHD) will be based at the Corps’ Philadelphia District…

Spain-based Gondan Shipbuilders has started the construction of an advanced remotely operated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for a company made up of DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø Rederi alliance called USV A/S.The project focuses on improving subsea operations, targeting a reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to conventional methods.The new USV will be used for underwater maintenance and inspection missions.Designed by Salt Ship Design, the vessel will feature a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system…

BMA Technology has delivered a suite of electrical solutions for two new A2B-online’s multi-fuel container vessels, being built at Sedef Shipyard in Turkey.BMA Technology has provided a comprehensive suite of electrical solutions to power A2B-online's environmentally friendly container vessels, each with a capacity of 650 TEU.This includes components such as electric drives, motors, Li-ion batteries, low voltage switchboards and alarm monitoring and control system.These essential components are at the heart of A2B-online's two revolutionary container vessels…

MAN Energy Solutions has won the contract from Royal Boskalis to supply 3 × MAN 49/60 engines for a 31,000 m³ Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD).Each engine will come accompanied by an exhaust-gas after-treatment system, namely an MAN Low-Pressure Selective Catalytic Reduction (LP-SCR) system, that ensures IMO Tier III compliance. The newbuilding will be built at Dutch shipbuilding company, Royal IHC, at its Krimpen aan den IJssel yard and is expected to enter service in mid-2026.The TSHD will be diesel-electric powered with two Azipods to allow vessel operation even at shallow draught.

Canadian shipping company CSL announced it is partnering with Adelaide Brighton Cement Ltd. (Adbri) to build and operate the world’s first fully electric battery capable self-unloading vessel.Under a 20-year strategic partnership agreement, the custom-designed ship will replace Adbri’s Accolade II and will support the company’s limestone operations in South Australia with a focus on enhanced efficiency and environmental responsibility. The ship will carry up to 2.7 million tonnes of limestone per year…

Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri held a steel cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction on a new Hydro-Oceanographic Ship (N.I.O.M.) for the Italian Navy.Scheduled for delivery from the integrated shipyard in Riva Trigoso-Muggiano in 2026, the new vessel is intended for mapping and scientific monitoring activities, as well as in support of the initiatives of the Hydrographic Institute, took place today at the Riva Trigoso shipyard.The ship will feature technologies to contain emissions…

Seattle shipyard Snow & Company has launched a new 15-meter hybrid catamaran research vessel that will be operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The plug-in hybrid research vessel, Resilience, will be delivered to the Department of Energy's (DOE) PNNL-Sequim marine research facility in 2024.The Incat Crowther designed vessel, equipped with both standard diesel engines and electric motors, will be the first hybrid vessel in the DOE fleet. The vessel will be powered by an advanced parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system…

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

Fuel flexibility may be a key driver for recent developments in gensets, but the perennial goals of lowering CapEx and OpEx remain.Fuel flexibility is one of the pillars of decarbonization that is being embraced by genset OEMs. Fuel efficiency, a second pillar, goes hand in hand with that because new fuels will be more expensive, but these concerns come in addition to the on-going drive to reduce CapEx and OpEx for shipowners.MAN Energy Solutions introduced its auxiliary MAN 35/44DF CD engine in June 2023. It is designed to be future-proof and will be ready for methanol operation by 2026.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Thursday announced grants totaling $220.2 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize the nation’s ferry systems. The program focuses in part on expanding ferry service in rural communities, helping communities acquire modern ferry boats (including electric boats that reduce carbon pollution), and upgrading shore infrastructure to support high-quality, low-emission ferry service.“For many communities around the U.S.…

As the world looks to renewable energy sources to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, offshore wind has emerged as a promising frontier in the United States. A report by the University of California Berkeley released in August concluded that due to the nation’s long coastlines with sustained winds in many areas and falling turbine costs, offshore wind could feasibly supply between 10% and 25% of the country’s energy demand by 2050.While that may paint a rosy picture of a cleaner…

SWITCH Maritime announced plans to grow its U.S. fleet of zero-emission ferries following the completion of a $10 million in a Series A round led by Nexus Development Capital.Founded in 2018, SWITCH’s mission is to enable private and public municipal ferry operators to more easily replace their carbon-intensive, diesel-powered fleets while reducing operating and fueling costs over the lifetime of their vessels.The fundraise comes on the back of the completion of its flagship zero-emission vessel…

Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Yanmar PT), a subsidiary of Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd, has made its first delivery of its newly commercialized maritime hydrogen fuel cell system, introduced in August 2023. This system was supplied to the passenger ship Hanaria, operated by MOTENA-Sea, a company backed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and other investors.The Hanaria is Japan's first hybrid passenger ship to use both hydrogen and biodiesel. The vessel operates with an onboard electric propulsion system that powers the ship’s drive using generated electricity.

Subsea services company DeepOcean and the Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP have agreed to "pioneer" the use of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for subsea inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) and survey work.The first USV is planned to be ready for offshore operations from 2025, when it will go on an eight-year charter agreement with DeepOcean from specialist provider USV AS."Aker BP and DeepOcean already cooperate under a frame agreement for subsea IMR and survey work, and Aker BP has contributed to the development of the USV.

GE Vernova’s Power Conversion recently won a contract award from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. to supply GE Vernova’s SeaGreen integrated power and propulsion system, equipped with high power-density induction motor technology, to power and propel the next-generation FSRU for United States ship owner Excelerate Energy Inc."The FSRU, to be constructed at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard, is to be fitted with the latest, proven technology for optimized vessel energy management and performance…

ABB has received an order from the Guangzhou Shipyard International to supply an Azipod® DI propulsion system for the new compact icebreaker of China’s Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. The ship is expected to be delivered in 2025, after which it will begin to carry out operations in the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean.A complete electric propulsion system including two 4.5MW Azipod® units will drive the vessel through harsh weather and thick first-year ice to enable research on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Port of Klaipėda has placed an order worth roughly €11 million for the design and construction of a fully electric tanker that will collect waste from other vessels arriving at the port.The project marks the first large collaboration between Baltic Workboats and Western Baltija Shipbuilding, a subsidiary within BLRT Grupp. The 42-m long and 10-m wide tanker will carry up to 400 m3 of liquid waste. The vessel will have a fully electric propulsion system with 2,000 kWh of batteries installed on board, meaning she can sail at 8 knots continuously for 8 hours without charging.

HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard has started joint development of a commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) with Korea Register of Shipping (KR).The two companies agreed to develop their own design and cooperate with domestic companies to ensure a local offshore wind farm operation technology industry so that they can actively advance into overseas markets.Hyundai Mipo Dockyard plans to develop an optimised hybrid electric propulsion system with dynamic positioning performance suitable…

Freire Shipyard signed a contract with IFREMER - the French national institute for ocean science - for the construction of a new 40.3-m vessel for the French oceanographic fleet. It will be designed to deal with all disciplines of oceanography in Atlantic coastal areas: geosciences and paleoclimatology, physical oceanography and biogeochemistry, biological oceanography, and ecosystem functioning, from the coastline to the continental shelf. It will also perform duties related to fishery on the continental shelf and will accommodate a crew of 12 people and 10 scientists…

Danish offshore vessel owner ESVAGT and Norwegian ship designer HAV Design have selected Brunvoll as the supplier of a propulsion and maneuvering system for another Service Operations Vessel (SOV). The delivery will be a repeat of the contracted vessel from last year, known as "The world's first green fuel SOV". Both vessels are built by Cemre Shipyard and will enter into a 10-year charter for Ørsted at their UK East Coast Hub.The delivery from Brunvoll consists of a complete propulsion and maneuvering system…

China's first domestically-built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, has departed from Shanghai for sea trials.The 135,500 gross tonne vessel was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. It is being classified by Lloyd’s Register and China Classification Society.The vessel has 2,125 guest rooms and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers. The public entertainment area is over 40,000 square meters (nearly six standard football fields) over 16 floors.

Norway's HAV Group has signed the final contract to design and equip another methanol-fuelled offshore wind service operation vessel (SOV) for the Danish offshore vessel owner ESVAGT.HAV Group said Monday it had signed the final contract with ESVAGT’s chosen shipyard, Cemre Shipyard in TurkeyHAV Group will deliver both the ship design and an integrated equipment package, including the propulsion system, engines, propellers, and positioning system. The total contract value for HAV is around approximately NOK 200 million (currently around $20 million).