Energy Applications News

Shift Clean Energy (Shift) on Tuesday announced it has received type approval from both the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Japanese Marine Standards (NK) for its energy storage system.Shift’s lithium-ion battery-based ESS are used for hybrid or fully electric propulsion systems for marine, offshore and inland waterway applications alongside land-based industrial and renewable energy applications. Shift batteries feature patented integrated cooling system, with each battery cell encased in its own cooling channel.Brent Perry…

Ask the right government department in any G7 state and you’ll find funding to put battery power for your vessel. Beyond funds, new battery makers and system integrators are ironing out safety issues, and a growing number of giga-sized cell factories offer hope that costs will fall for marine energy storage, as ESS choice grows. Efforts are also underway to recycle rare earth elements and to augment or greenify staggeringly high plant electricity inputs. Apart from funding, the drivers of change include constraints on shipping in Emissions Free Areas like the fjords of Norway…

Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company Saudi Aramco said that using renewable energy at unconventional well sites in Wa’ad Al-Shamal provides multiple benefits to the company."Not only is it a reliable and less expensive way to power the remote wells, but it also reduces carbon emissions and helps to save hydrocarbons for export by providing natural gas for the region’s power generation," Saudi Arabian Oil Company said.A new collaboration between the Power Systems Renewables Department (PRSD) and Unconventional Resources (UR) is not only saving costs while creating value, but is also reducing Saudi Aramco’s environmental…

The international accredited registrar and classification society DNV GL has become the world’s first certification body approved to issue IECRE - International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) System for Certification to Standards relating to Equipment for use in Renewable Energy applications - certificates for project certification.The Norway-headquartered organization now able to conduct conformity assessments as official Renewables Energy Certification Body (RECB) relating to project certification, project design certification and site suitability evaluation."DNV GL has been unanimously accepted as the first Renewables Energy Certification Body (RECB) for project certification under the international certification scheme IECRE OD-502.

As part of its continued focus on bringing renewable energy solutions to shipping, Eco Marine Power (EMP) has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Star Bulk S.A. (Star Bulk) covering a joint study project focused on the feasibility of using EMP’s technologies on existing and new bulk carriers. The joint study between Star Bulk and EMP will cover engineering issues related to how various equipment including solar panels, batteries and other devices can be installed on existing and new ships.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) won a contract from the U.S. Navy through the Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) to develop advanced, high energy density capacitors for use in High Power Microwave (HPM) systems. GA-EMS is applying advanced technologies to create high energy density capacitors that will enable the deployment of HPM systems on smaller and more tactically relevant Navy platforms. GA-EMS is leading the research, development and demonstration of high energy density capacitor technologies that enable more powerful, compact system designs for a broad range of next generation land and sea-based platforms and directed energy applications.

Designer and manufacturer of high power lithium-ion energy storage PBES (Plan B Energy Storage) said it has received DNV GL Type Approval of the PBES energy storage system for use in commercial marine, offshore oil and gas and renewable energy applications.   “PBES celebrates the certification of our systems to this highest standard,” said Brent Perry, PBES Chief Executive Officer. “Global reach and dominant position in classification across multiple markets make DNV GL the most important validation PBES can receive.”   PBES said it expects the type approval to open global marine markets by providing customers with security in knowledge that their vessel will meet class standards.

Eco Marine Power (EMP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a Singapore based shipping company to supply its Aquarius Management and Automation (MAS) + Solar solution. The solution will also include hardware and software that will allow ships to monitor fuel oil consumption in real time, automatically calculate NOx/SOx/CO2 emissions and interface with marine solar power systems. Initially one ship in the fleet will be installed with the Aquarius MAS + Solar solution and its performance jointly evaluated.

Eco Marine Power (EMP) has announced that it has entered into a sales and support agreement with Jastram Technologies Ltd. of Canada. This agreement paves the way for EMP to begin offering a wide range of products and services to the Canadian shipping and offshore sector. Jastram Technologies has been providing high quality equipment and services to the marine industry since 1983. It has coast to coast locations in Canada with strategically located offices in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

A range of marine battery solutions has received approval for use on-board ships or marine related applications such as offshore platforms and renewable energy projects. Now available from Eco Marine Power (EMP), a developer of renewable energy solutions for ships, in cooperation with storage batteries and electrical machinery manufacturer Furukawa Battery Company of Japan, the battery range has been accepted for use on classed vessels by ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) in addition to having been evaluated by EMP.

Today’s planning approval for offshore wind energy at Dogger Bank takes the total of consented projects in the North Sea zone to 4.8 gigawatts (GW), almost equal to all the offshore wind capacity now in operation in the U.K. The consented development, Dogger Bank Teesside A&B is part of the Dogger Bank Zone, the largest of the Round 3 zones and the farthest from shore, but also one of the shallowest, with high wind speeds and seabed conditions ideally suited to offshore wind development.

AEG Power Solutions, a global provider of power electronic systems and solutions for industrial power supplies and renewable energy applications, informed that Fincantieri S.p.A. has selected its power systems solutions to secure all critical loads applications on board Seabourn Encore, an ultra-luxury cruise ship that Fincantieri will build for Seabourn, a brand of Carnival Corporation. A combination of AC (Protect 8 and Protect 4) UPS and DC (Protect TPR) systems will be delivered to Fincantieri in December this year. They will secure the electrical power supply for automation, ship digital communications, public address safety system, emergency diesel generator and low location lighting. Power supply is a critical part of security on board.

The Switch, a supplier of megawatt-class permanent magnet (PM) generator and full-power converter packages for wind power and other renewable energy applications, received another order to deliver two PM shaft generators to WE Tech Solutions of Finland. At the end of February 2015, WE Tech Solutions placed another order for two PMM 1000 M shaft generators from The Switch with the option for an additional two to be used in future WE Tech Solutions projects. WE Tech Solutions utilizes the PM machine both as generator and motor in their direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator solution.

Alcoa, clean technology company Phinergy and HEIG-VD University, today debuted a zero-emissions electric demo boat powered by an aluminum-air battery at Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Alcoa and Phinergy announced earlier this year that the companies are collaborating on new materials, processes and components to commercialize the aluminum-air battery for various applications, including electric cars, electric boats and stationary energy. The aluminum-air battery used in the electric boat demonstrator contains 15kg aluminum which provides about 25 hours of additional navigation time…

The Switch, a supplier of megawatt-class permanent magnet (PM) generator and full-power converter packages for wind power and other renewable energy applications, has received repeat PM shaft generator orders from WE Tech Solutions of Finland, a customer in the marine sector. WE Tech Solutions of Finland placed another order for seven PM shaft generators that will be delivered to their end-customers Terntank Rederi AS of Denmark and Torvald Klaveness of Norway. To adapt to the various power requirements of the customers…

Yaskawa Electric Corporation, a company in motion control and robotics, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The Switch, a supplier of megawatt-class permanent magnet generator and full-power converter packages for wind power and other renewable energy applications. The estimated schedule for closing the deal is within a few weeks. The Switch brand will continue as its own entity for selected markets and applications. The Japan-based Yaskawa System Engineering Division has been focusing on growing its market share in renewable…

The Maritime Administration has launched several new initiatives that place the agency in the vanguard of federal organizations implementing policies stressing responsible environmental stewardship.n announcing these initiatives, Maritime Administrator Sean T. The Maritime Administration’s 2008 “Going Green” programs include an Environmental Excellence Initiative that focuses on strengthening environmental stewardship and developing and implementing green procedures, including establishing an Environmental Management System at the agency’s National Defense Reserve Fleet sites and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. A new Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy effort will evaluate current agency energy applications and implement an overhaul of energy-conservation practices.

Millennium Cell Inc., which designs and develops systems for the safe use of hydrogen fuel in energy applications, has teamed with Seaworthy Systems in a CCDOTT (Center for Commercial Development of Transportation Technologies) and California State University, Long Beach Foundation program. This program will demonstrate the benefits of using its fuel to power ships and facilities in ports. The project is designed to meet CCDOTT goals for zero emissions from fuel cells, and the contract award comes as many operators in U.S. ports are facing potential fines for being well in excess of Environmental Protection Agency air and water quality standards. "So there's a movement afoot right now in California to add regulation to reduce emission for all of the maritime fleet," said Rex E.