Storage Systems News

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Wednesday announced the availability of $316 million to support and modernize passenger ferry service in communities across the country.Ferry transit is a critical mode of transportation in many regions throughout the United States. Across the country, there are approximately 3 million ferry riders each month.“I have seen firsthand how, for many Americans in many different parts of the country, ferries are the best and sometimes only way to get where they need to go,” said U.S.

Bakker Sliedrecht has implemented energy storage systems (ESS) on board of the two Boskalis diving support vessels - BOKA Atlantis and BOKA Da Vinci.The installation of the ESS reduces the vessels’ fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by an average of up to 20%, according to Bakker Sliedrecht.The systems also provide a power supply and energy storage facility while the vessels are docked and contribute to quieter and more efficient operations…

Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft on Saturday launched the new Olympic construction service operation vessel (CSOV), Olympic Boreas.The newbuild is first of two sister vessels for Olympic, designed to assist in offshore energy construction projects and service assignments.The launch saw the vessel towed out the dock hall and moored quayside for outfitting work."The general outfitting work, which consists of accommodation work, electrical installations, piping and mechanical installations, to name a few, is well underway.

U.S.-based SEACOR Marine has completed the installation of a hybrid power system on its platform supply vessel (PSV) SEACOR Yangtze.Beginning in February 2024 in Norway, Kongsberg Maritime started the upgrade of the UT771 CDL SEACOR Yangtze with the Deckhouse Energy Storage System.The installation of the system has been completed, SEACOR Marine informed on April 4, 2024, adding to its fleet of hybrid battery-powered PSVs.To remind, SEACOR Marine announced it will convert four other of its PSVs to battery hybrid power in a move to enhance efficiency and slash emissions.The Houston-headquartered

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…

ClassNK has granted its SCCS-Full class notation to Evergreen’s Neopanamax container vessel Ever Top.Short for Shipboard Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage-Full, the SCCS-Full notation signifies that the vessel is now equipped with onboard CO2 capture and storage (CCS) systems.This also marks it as the world's first Neopanamax container vessel to be retrofitted with such systems, according to ClassNK.The CCS systems, designed and developed by Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute…

Fortescue has conducted the world's first ammonia marine bunker operation in the port of Singapore, the city-state's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and the Australian mining company said on Friday.The Singapore-flagged Fortescue Green Pioneer was loaded with liquid ammonia from an existing facility at Jurong Island's Vopak Banyan Terminal for the trial, Fortescue and MPA said in a joint statement.The vessel is dual-fuelled and can adopt ammonia for bunkering in combination with diesel.

On Friday, March 8, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) christened its new ferry in Galveston Bay.Named for the first female chair of the TxDOT and first Latina Secretary of State, Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, the vessel was designed by the The Shearer Group and built by Gulf Island Fabricators in Louisiana.Stretching 293 feet, the double-ended ferry showcases cutting-edge propulsion technology and pioneering battery energy storage systems.The ferry is outfitted with diesel-powered and electrical engines and Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive PLUSC power and propulsion system…

DP World has signed a partnership agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) to explore and implement renewable energy systems across its global port operations in the Middle East and Africa.The agreement aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS) within DP World’s global supply chain.Over the course of the three-year partnership, DP World and Masdar will work together to identify optimal sites for the potential deployment of solar and energy storage systems…

Whether it is from international organizations or state government agencies, there is growing pressure on ferry operators to meet stringent goals to reduce the environmental toll from their operations.The California Air Resource Board’s Commercial Harbor Craft Regulation issued the most stringent of these policies, which requires all short-run ferries to achieve zero emission by January 1, 2026. But it’s not just California that wants this industry to clean up its act. The United…

Idemitsu Tanker, IINO Kaiun Kaisha (IINO Lines), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), and Nihon Shipyard have established a consortium to conduct joint research and development of design concepts for Malacca Max-type very large crude oil carriers (VLCCs).The design concepts, including machinery and environment equipment, will be developed with a view of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the consortium that was initiated by Idemitsu Tanker said.Aiming to reduce emissions by 40% or more compared to previous levels…

SEACOR Marine announced it will convert four of its platform supply vessels (PSV) to battery hybrid power in a move to enhance efficiency and slash emissions.The Houston-headquartered marine transportation firm said on Thursday it has ordered containerized energy storage systems (ESS) from Norway's Kongsberg Maritime for install aboard SEACOR Ohio, SEACOR Alps, SEACOR Andes and SEACOR Atlas.The four 278.4-foot-long PSVs are all of Kongsberg Maritime's UT771 CDL design and were built in China from 2018 to 2020.

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has developed a Unified Requirement (URH1) covering the release of ammonia from the onboard systems for bunkering, storing, preparing and using ammonia as fuel.IACS URH1 aligns with the Recommendations from U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and establishes that an ammonia concentration of 300 ppm or more is immediately dangerous, and a concentration of 25 ppm or more is dangerous if the exposure is longer than eight hours.Additionally…

The first of two methanol-ready newbuild Construction Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) for the Norwegian shipowner Olympic has arrived at the outfitting yard of Ulstein Verft in Norway.The contract between Olympic and Ulstein was signed in 2022 and includes the construction of two CSOVs for offshore wind at Ulstein Verft.The vessels are based on the ULSTEIN SX222 design, and have a length of 89.6 meters with a beam of 19.2 meters. The CSOVs are able to accommodate 126 people in 91 cabins.

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.…

SGX-listed Marco Polo Marine has signed a framework agreement with wind turbine maker Vestas, which finalizes the previous Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2022 between its Taiwan-based subsidiary, PKR Offshore Co., Ltd and Vestas Taiwan Co., Ltd for the maiden deployment of its new Commissioning Service Operations Vessel (CSOV). According to Marco Polo Marine, the new CSOV, which can accommodate up to 110 people, will be deployed across various offshore wind farms in the Asia Pacific region over three years…

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…

Corvus Energy, a Norway-based provider of battery energy storage solutions and fuel cell systems for the marine sector, has been awarded a Type Approval from DNV for its Cyber Security Notation on the Control and Monitoring System of Corvus Energy's Orca Energy Storage System (ESS).The Type Approval certificate signifies that Corvus Energy's control and monitoring system, along with its data collection through Lighthouse, has successfully met all the stringent safety, quality…

Danish offshore vessel owner Maersk Supply Service has selected the Fleet Data IoT platform from Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, to help optimize the performance of its first vessel battery installation onboard the Maersk Minder anchor handler.The solution will also allow Maersk Supply Service to evaluate how best to optimize the use of zero-emission energy storage systems across its fleet. According to Inmarsat, an end-user API gathers data from onboard equipment, automatically organizes it with time-stamps…

Dutch offshore crane maker Huisman launched a renewed series of subsea Knuckle Boom Cranes for the use in the offshore subsea construction market."With this new series, the company’s portfolio has been adapted to the latest trends in offshore construction vessels with respect to energy efficiency, automation, and safety," Huisman said.According to Huisman, the new, series includes models starting from 85mt up to 350mt and cover both setups with a winch below deck as well as on the back of the crane.Water depths up to 3…

Zero emission is a nice idea, but who’s going to pay for it? The U.S. EPA is readying big money for zero emission ports.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on two high-profile port initiatives that it hopes will move the needle in a big way towards U.S. ports’ zero emissions (ZE) operations and clean air goals.The first initiative started last May when EPA published a request for information and comments that would help the Agency develop Guidance it could use to evaluate funding requests for projects for zero-emission vehicles, port equipment and related infrastructure.

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for an onboard CO2 capture and storage (OCCS) system developed by China Shipbuilding Power Engineering Institute Co., Ltd. (CSPI), a member of CSSC Power (Group) Co. Ltd. (CPGC).In addition to fuel transition, interest in capturing CO2 from ships' exhaust gas is growing as a way to reduce GHG emissions, and the development of onboard systems for capturing and storing CO2 is being undertaken. To encourage the development of the related technology…