Produce Electricity News

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…

With three Gladding-Hearn pilot boats already in their fleet, the Louisiana-based Lake Charles pilots have ordered another launch from the Somerset, Mass., shipyard.Based on the Cameron Pilot II delivered in 2019, the new all-aluminum pilot boat features the Deep V hull by Ray Hunt Design and has an overall length of 73’, beam of 23’, and draft of 5.3’. It will be powered by twin Cummins QSK38-M1, EPA Tier 4-certified diesel engines, each delivering 1,300 Bhp at 1,800 rpm and a top speed of over 27 knots.

The U.S. Gulf Coast region, the nation's primary offshore source of oil and gas, has cheap electricity and lacks state mandates for renewable energy procurement, making it an unlikely place to expand one of the most expensive forms of clean energy.That is why players in the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry are looking beyond the grid when the Biden administration holds the first-ever offshore wind auction in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, eyeing the sale instead as a way to…

By now, it is a well-known fact that the marine industry contributes significantly to the greenhouse gasses causing climate change—and the impact is predicted to rise as the demand for shipping by sea increases. Action is needed now, and the majority of ship operators are adopting or planning zero-emission solutions to accommodate upcoming emission reduction targets.A key zero-emission technology that will be a critical enabler for decarbonizing the marine industry—now and in the future—is hydrogen fuel cells.Today…

Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch shines a light on how to produce electricity efficiently on ships.A ship is like a floating city that needs electricity to power its operations and amenities on board. So how to generate that electricity while being mobile? That question has been challenging the shipping industry for more than 150 years, when exciting new technologies were being pioneered at the forefront of the new age of electricity. Fast forward to today, and the challenges surrounding the production of electricity on board vessels have been spurred again.

A new, first-of-its-kind ferry that runs on liquid hydrogen has entered service for Norwegian operator Norled, breaking new ground for cleaner vessel operations.The 80-car ferry MF Hydra in recent weeks has been undergoing tests and sea trials, officially entering service with approval from the Norwegian Maritime Authority on March 31. The vessel services a triangular route between Hjelmeland, Skipavik and Nesvik in Norway, using 4 tonnes of liquid hydrogen, two 200 kW fuel cells, a 1.36—1.5 MWh battery, and two 440 kW diesel generators.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, announced it has received an order from the St. Johns Bar Pilots for a new high-speed launch.The newbuild, to be based on the Somerset, Mass. shipbuilder's 40-foot Resilient Class pilot boat introduced in 2005, is scheduled to be delivered to the Florida-based pilots in mid-2024—the pilots’ fourth Gladding-Hearn pilot boat since 1962.Designed by Ray Hunt Design, the all-aluminum launch measures 35 feet overall. It has a 13-foot beam, including the foam collar, and a 3-foot draft.

The Galveston-Texas City Pilots has taken delivery of its fourth pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The new launch is equipped with a Seakeeper 30HD stabilizing gyro, which, according to shipyard officials, will reduce up to 80% the vessel’s roll.With a length overall of 73.2’, beam of 23.3’ and draft of 5.9’, the all-aluminum, high-speed pilot boat features the Ray Hunt Design deep-V hull. It is powered by three Volvo Penta D13, EPA Tier 3 marine diesel engines, each delivering 800 Bhp at 2,300 rpm, and integral to the engines’ triple IPS-Pod 1050 system.

A race is being run by nuclear scientists and ship designers. The prize? “Decarbonization’s” holy grail — believed to be a “small” thorium-fueled, molten-salt rector’s unlimited power to propel sea trade. At the same time, a recently revived discussion among leading marine-nuclear thinkers revolves now around how to put an ultra-modern, as-yet non-existent marine reactor aboard a modern commercial vessel. As with nuclear power generally, shipborne reactors produce national discussion first, then discovery.

RWE, Germany's largest power producer, said Europe needed more investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals on land to secure shipped fuel supplies from global gas producers in the long term.But RWE Chief Executive Andree Stracke told the Gastech conference in Milan that he did not think Europe would abandon Russian gas forever because of the cost to industries and households.Europe is facing its worst gas supply crisis ever, with energy prices soaring and German importers…

Manufacturing works on DemoSATH, Saitec Offshore’s & RWE Renewables concrete floating wind platform project, are accelerating in the Spanish Port of Bilbao, with the latest milestone being the handling operation of the prototype, Saitec Offshore said Friday.The SATH Technology floater is based on a twin hull, made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements. It can align itself around a single point of mooring depending to the wind and wave direction.Once fully completed…

Despite the very strong freight rates and the apparently tight market, the all-important driver for dry bulk shipping, China, has in fact seen imports of its two largest dry bulk commodities shrink year-on-year so far this year. The two largest imported commodities for China, iron ore and coal are however, interestingly on two different trajectories, as the latter could be ending the year with higher total volumes than in 2020.“The high freight rates that the dry bulk market is currently enjoying cannot directly be linked to higher volumes from the world’s largest dry bulk importer.

“30 by 30” is the rallying cry for all concerned with the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind business. In Spring 2021, the Secretaries of Energy, Interior and Commerce resolved to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generated from offshore turbines by 2030. Consultants McKinsey, in a recent article frame the value proposition for this clean fuel source, writing: “During the industry’s 30-year evolution, costs have fallen so sharply that offshore wind now compares favorably with competing energy sources.” For vessel owners, renewable energy brings opportunity.The thrust of near-term U.S.

The Galveston-Texas City Pilots have ordered a fourth launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. Delivery is scheduled for late 2022.With a length overall of 73.2’, beam of 23.3’ and draft of 5.9’, the all-aluminum, high-speed pilot boat features the Ray Hunt Design deep-V hull. It will be powered by three Volvo Penta D13, EPA Tier 3 marine diesel engines, each delivering 800 Bhp at 2,300 rpm, and integral to the engines’ triple IPS-Pod 1050 system. Top speed will be over 30 knots.

China is paying a high price for its unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia, with the cost of domestic and alternative foreign supplies rising for both thermal and coking grades of the fuel.China, the world’s biggest importer, producer and consumer of coal, has effectively ended imports from Australia, the biggest shipper of coking coal used to make steel and number two in thermal coal used to produce electricity, as part of an ongoing political dispute between the two nations.The restrictions on imports from Australia came into effect in the second half of last year…

MSC Cruises, a global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, has held a steel-cutting ceremony for its first new-generation World-Class ship at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.The first of five liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered cruise ships on order, MSC Europa is the first LNG ship to be built in France.On the occasion of the cutting of the first steel ceremony held in Saint-Nazaire, MSC and Chantiers de l’Atlantique unveiled a groundbreaking R&D project named PACBOAT.The project focuses on the integration of a new fuel cell technology demonstrator onboard the first of four MSC Cruises’ World Class of vessels, due for delivery in 2022.

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Turkish company Karadeniz Holding announced that MOL and Karpower International B.V. have agreed to jointly carry out the first LNG-to-Powership project under the co-brand “KARMOL”According to the Japanese LNG shipping company, KARMOL will deploy an FSRU and a powership – a floating power station – to aid the national grid of Mozambique.This LNG-to-Powership project consists of the collaborative operations of the FSRU to deliver regasified LNG and the Powership to receive regasified LNG in order to produce electricity, which is subsequently provided to Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the Mozambican National Power Utility…

A maritime consortium, including ABS and Sandia National Laboratories, recently proved the viability of a hydrogen fuel cell ferry designed for operations in the environmentally sensitive San Francisco Bay area. The IMO’s mandate to cap the sulfur content in marine fuel at the start of next year may be the biggest regulatory change in shipping since the requirement for double hulls, but the challenge will fade in comparison to its future goals to reduce green-house gases (GHG).A year ago (April 2018)…

The Southwest Alaska Pilots Association has taken delivery of a new pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The vessel was delivered to Fort Lauderdale, where it was loaded on a ship bound for the West Coast.With a length overall of 75.7’, beam of 20.6’ and draft of 3.11’, the all-aluminum  pilot boat features the Ray Hunt-designed Deep V hull. It is powered by twin Cummins QSK38-M1, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines, each delivering 1,400 Bhp at 1,800 rpm and connected to twin ZF-5000 gear boxes. The launch is propelled by a pair of Hamilton HM651 water jets.

Australia's Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is continuing to progress its renewable energy initiatives, with a tidal turbine deployed at its Barney Point Terminal in Gladstone.It is part of a six month trial aimed at demonstrating how tidal flows at the Port of Gladstone can be harnessed to produce electricity, according to a press release from the Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia.GPC has partnered with MAKO Turbines Pty Ltd for the demonstration, which is the first of its kind in Australian tropical waters using port infrastructure.Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said it is an exciting day to see the turbine in action at one of Queensland’s largest trading ports.“GPC may be best known for facilitating trade, but this is

Old photos show mid-nineteenth century sailing ships abandoned in the San Francisco Bay area by crews who caught gold fever. Some of these abandoned hulls lie under the modern day city of San Francisco. Over in Sausalito, just to the north of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, what may well be the spirit of one of those buried vessels has taken shape under the direction of Captain Alan Olson, who has several decades of experience building and restoring and sailing classic wooden ships.

Louisiana-based Lake Charles Pilots has ordered a fourth pilot boat from Massachusetts-based shipbuilder Gladding-Hearn. The new all-aluminum vessel, due for delivery in 2018, will join three similar pilot boats already in the Lake Charles fleet. With a length overall of 70’, beam of 22’ and draft of 6.8’, the new pilot boat features the C. Raymond Hunt-designed Deep V hull. It will be powered by twin Cummins QSK38-M, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines, each delivering 1,300 Bhp at 1,800 rpm and a top speed of 27 knots. The engines will turn five-blade NiBrAl Bruntons propellers, connected to a pair of Twin Disc gear boxes. To optimize fuel economy, vessel handling and comfort, twin Humphree interceptors, with automatic trim optimization, will be installed at the transom.

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.