Electrical Power News

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Senate hearing Wednesday that investigators had conducted interviews with key cargo ship personnel in the investigation of the March 26 Baltimore bridge collapse.The Dali cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it crashing into the harbor and killing six people. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is ongoing.Homendy said investigators remained on site and had interviewed the pilots…

Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowley’s new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmental…

ClassNK has issued a type approval certificate for the lithium-ion storage battery system ORCA Energy, developed by Corvus Energy.Following an application from Corvus Energy, ClassNK carried out an examination of ORCA Energy based on the rule and the ‘Guidance for the Approval and Type Approval of Materials and Equipment for Marine Use’.The guidance applies to tests and inspections of materials and equipment for marine use for which advance approval or type approval by ClassNK is required by the relevant requirements in its rules.Upon confirming it complies with the prescribed requirements…

Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan-based global trading and import/export company ITOCHU Corporation to explore the potential application of Amogy’s technology on ITOCHU’s maritime vessels.Amogy has developed a modularized system that transforms liquid ammonia into electrical power. This innovative technology involves “cracking” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen is then funneled into a fuel cell for efficient generation of electricity onboard a vessel.

American Bureau Of Shipping (ABS) has joined the BlueBARGE project, a program funded by the Horizon Europe program and involving 14 partners from 10 European countries to develop a comprehensive solution for offshore electrical power bunkering.ABS is leading the 36-month, $11.9 million (€11 million) project and will support the consortium in safety, classification and regulatory compliance.To limit local pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, BlueBARGE is developing and testing a new way for ships docked in port to plug into electrical power known as cold ironing.

Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with W-Industries, a provider of engineering, technology, manufacturing, construction and services, to explore opportunities for technology and engineering collaboration.Tailored for industries such as maritime shipping and power generation, Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system splits, or “cracks,” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen, and then funnels the hydrogen into a fuel cell for clean power generation.Together…

Green Ships Invest has signed a contract to purchase of Amogy’s carbon-free ammonia-to-electrical power systems for a fleet of new environmentally friendly platform supply vessels (PSV). Green Ships, which is designing/procuring so-called ePSVs (electrical PSVs), had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Amogy in October 2023.Under the newly signed contract, Green Ships Invest will design the ePSV to be equipped with 2 megawatts (MW) of clean energy capacity through the integration of ten of Amogy’s pioneering 200 kilowatt (kW) ammonia-to-electrical power systems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday, granted a Clean Air Act permit to New York's Empire Offshore Wind owned by Equinor.The permit was given after an air quality analysis showed federal air quality standards would not be compromised during construction and operation of the project, the agency said."When built, this project is expected to generate more than 2,000 megawatts of electrical power for New York State – enough to power as many as a million homes,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F.

HAROPA PORT has started working on the construction of electricity supply connections for ships at the Le Havre cruise terminal.The purpose of the work planned for HAROPA PORT’s cruise terminal, dubbed Florida Point, is to assist the energy transition in the sea cruise sector, which goes in line with the port’s strategic project decarbonize its activities.Each supply outlet will be capable of providing up to 13 MW, subject to a maximum of 30 MW (or the equivalent of the power required to supply 5…

Ammonia power solutions company Amogy informs it has been awarded a feasibility statement by classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR).Amogy has developed an ammonia-to-electrical power system that splits, or “cracks,” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen, which then funnels the hydrogen into a fuel cell, generating power at five times the energy density of lithium batteries.The feasibility statement from LR serves as the official approval of Amogy’s Technology Qualification Plan (TQP)…

cutSOFEC_EBUOY_DETAIL_01_20231206As the need for electrical power for vessels at sea grows, SOFEC announced that ABS awarded the newly developed Electric Charging Buoy (ECB) an Approval in Principle (AiP). Traditional SOFEC CALM buoy designs have integrated electrical power cable management solutions that allow vessel(s) mooring while utilizing externally supplied power. By using this proven concept, SOFEC can leverage its buoy designs and modify them to accommodate offshore electric power transfer from seaports or offshore wind farms substations to Electric Vessels.

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.

Finnish companies have designed about 80 percent of the world’s icebreakers, and about 60 percent of them have been built by Finnish shipyards.Finland is home to a strong and vibrant maritime cluster, with a mix of large, medium and small shipyards, as well as a deep pool of marine engineering expertise and a broad network of vessel equipment suppliers.As one of the world’s northernmost countries, Finland is also home to a fleet of icebreakers that keep imports and exports flowing through its harbors, even during the coldest winter months.

Bay-Houston Towing has inked a deal with Port Neches, Texas shipbuilder Sterling Shipyard to build multiple new tugs to serve the Texas Gulf Coast region.The new vessels will be Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3200-W ASD ship handling and escort tugs for berthing/unberthing large ships and providing escort and emergency response in exposed coastal areas with demanding sea states.“The addition of the RAstar 3200-W further diversifies our fleet and provides an extremely powerful…

Berg Propulsion has been selected to provide control and propulsion technology for what will be one of the largest hybrid tugs ever delivered, after owner Buksér og Berging AS (BuBe) agreed specifications with Turkey’s Uzmar Shipyard for its latest newbuild.Berg has been contracted to provide the full electrical power and control package for the Robert Allan-designed Rampage 4100BB-H tug, which will join BuBe’s North Sea operations in December 2024. Supply will include the electric motors…

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…

Australian company Sprintex has supplied a critical component to the US$15 billion EU Sustainable Hydrogen-Powered Shipping Project (sHYpS), involving 13 partner companies in six countries, which will convert six cruise ships to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.Each vessel will be equipped with around 100MW of electrical power, derived from modular hydrogen fuel cells. Sprintex has delivered high-speed electric compressors which are essential for the overall efficiency and performance of the fuel cell systems…

DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest service member in World War II, to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service as a captain in the U.S. Army and trained younger troops headed for Vietnam. Lucas passed away on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg…

The Port of Seattle is installing a third shore power system at Pier 66, making it the world’s first port with three systems for cruise ships.The port receives over 200 cruise vessels in a typical season between April and October, and adding a third shore power system is a major component of the port’s Waterfront Clean Energy Strategy.The new shore power connection is expected to be fully operational by the 2024 Alaska cruise season.The contract for the shore power system components was awarded in November 2022 to Watts Marine.

The Royal Thai Navy has taken delivery of the new tug H.T.M.S. Ta Chai built by Asian Marine Services PCL. The vessel, having already undergone sea trials, was officially handed over on August 21.The newly completed RAmparts 3200-SD tug was designed by Canada's Robert Allan Ltd. to serve the navy’s surface ships and submarines.The design features a slightly wider hull form with improved features compared to two RAmparts 3200 tugs delivered to the Royal Thai Navy in 2017 and 2019…

As the devotion to more sustainable shipping expands and regulations become more stringent, the demand for lower emissions operations continues to increase. As a result, the marine industry is confronted with the challenge of large-scale electrification as an alternative energy solution.For electric ferries, one developing technology is Rapid Charging Systems (RCS), which transfer electrical power from the shore to a vessel at a high rate. These charging systems establish a ship-to-shore connection quickly…

Swansea-based HST Marine, a Purus Wind company, is using Reygar’s BareFLEET technology to understand and report on the performance of its hybrid Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), and reduce emissions.The company currently has four hybrid CTVs in operation with three more soon to enter service, all of which have BareFLEET installed. These vessels are a mix of both controllable and fixed pitch propeller systems that take power from either a high-efficiency electric motor or the main engine…

The United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towing vessel was christened at a ceremony in Houston on Friday as the commercial marine industry continues to implement new technologies to reduce its environmental footprint.Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond will be time chartered by Shell Trading (US) Company, which will use the vessel to push barges throughout the Houston port region. According to Kirby, the vessel can achieve an estimated 80% reduction in fuel use and related emissions.“We are excited to be the first to market with a plug-in hybrid inland towing vessel…