Power Electronics News

Liebherr worked with AYRO, the French industrial start-up that recently successfully equipped the Canopée vessel with four OceanWings, making it the first hybrid industrial cargo ship powered by wind.With a height of 37 metres and a surface area of 363 m² each, this automated, lowerable and patented vertical wingsail technology will help the ship cut fossil fuel consumption.AYRO’s 37-m-high wingsails require a special solution due to their size, especially regarding its electrical actuators.

Engineering firm TECO 2030 unveiled a new product concept for its containerized fuel cells, the TECO 2030 Power Barge, designed to serve as a scalable multimegawatt solution for electricity production for shore power from hydrogen.The solution comprises TECO 2030 fuel cell modules, batteries, power electronics, safety- and automation systems, hydrogen storage, and a refueling solution.“The floating and mobile solution for shore power in locations with insufficient electrical grid…

ABB is launching a new solid state circuit breaker to enable the next generation of safe, energy-efficient direct current (DC) power systems. DC power distribution is at the forefront of strategies to make shipping and marine vessels more sustainable and energy efficient – the SACE Infinitus circuit breaker makes it simpler to integrate, protect and control these new DC network architectures for ships of all types and sizes.DC power systems improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 per cent.

Finland-based power electronics specialist Yaskawa Environmental Energy/The Switch is partnering up with maritime energy storage system (ESS) manufacturer Corvus Energy to continue the development of its smart Battery Short-Circuit Limiter (BSCL) protection device for large-scale battery solutions and advanced DC power distribution.Under the three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU), Corvus Energy becomes the preferred partner for Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch in the ongoing development of the.According to the companies…

North Kingstown, R.I. shipyard Senesco Marine said it has been selected by the Maine Department of Transportation to build a new hybrid-electric passenger vessel for the Maine State Ferry Service (MSFS).The 154-foot passenger-vehicle ferry, designed by Gilbert Associates, will be equipped with BAE Systems’ electric hybrid propulsion solution to deliver reduced and zero-emission operations capability for the Rockland-based ferry service that serves nearly 500,000 riders and 190…

This is a transcendent time in the marine industry as stakeholders explore new technologies to drive efficiency gains and reduce emissions. At the end of 2022, Scania will introduce its new its new electric hybrid package, eMachine, at the Electric & Hybrid Exhibition.The hybrid and full electric offering ranges from 150 to 230 kilowatts continuous electric power, with all hardware and intelligence included. “The package we're launching is made for making sustainable solutions easy and accessible for all our customers—current and new ones.

As a marine engineer focused on vessel design, I’ve watched the narrative on battery-electric and battery-hybrid vessels evolve from skepticism, to curiosity, to genuine acceptance in just a few short years. The passenger transportation sector, in particular, has been quick to embrace the concept of vessel electrification as a means of improving economics and reducing emissions. This makes sense as many ferry operations are excellent candidates for battery and hybrid-electric power due to their proximity to urban electrical grids…

Southern Europe's first all-electric ferry is being built by Navaltagus Reparação e Construção Naval, a member of Grupo ETE, in Portugal.Designed by Vera Navis Naval Architects, the zero-emissions ferry is being built and will operate in Aveiro, Portugal.Shift Clean Energy and Nave De Luz Lda (NDL) are co-leading a consortium to supply and install electrical components for the new vessel. Additional members of the consortium include Danfoss Editron, power electronic and Technology Venture Middle East Marine Services LLC, the technology integration consultants and Marine Electricals (I) Pvt.

Berg Propulsion has signed a key supplier and cooperation agreement to provide systems integration capability for Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch permanent magnet (PM) and power electronics products. The cooperation creates a new and combined force offering the robustness and efficiency of propulsion systems where electric motors directly drive the propeller shaft, consolidating Berg’s growing presence in electric propulsion.“This is the latest step in Berg’s strategy to become a fully-fledged electrical propulsion systems integrator,” said Stefan Sedersten, CEO, Berg Propulsion.

Several passenger vessels from Austrian operator WolfgangseeSchifffahrt were recently fitted with a SCHOTTEL PumpJet type SPJ 30, including the new CoaGrid. With the SPJ 30 (100 kW), which is driven by an electric motor with a battery storage device, the ship owner benefits from zero-emissions propulsion power and low-loss power electronics.SCHOTTEL noted the maneuverability of the vessels is further increased by means of the two previously installed SCHOTTEL RudderPropellers…

Brent Perry, CEO of Sterling PBES is a 40+ year veteran of the marine business, and one of the pioneers in delivering battery solutions to boats and ships at sea. Please give us a by the numbers look at Sterling PBES today?Right now we are sitting in a position where we had anticipated delivering somewhere in the neighborhood of $20-21 million worth of product, which is about 35 megawatt hours. And we’re scheduled to blow past that to almost $40 million. And we’re looking at the following year as a year of over a $100 million…

The electric ferry Suloey is about to dock at the Hareid ferry terminal in Norway following a trip made in headwinds that required high energy usage.“There is a need for proper charging after such a trip,” states the captain of the ferry, which has been fitted with equipment for propulsion, automation and charging by Norwegian Electric Systems (NES).With a simple touch on the charging display, the charging tower on shore connects to the ferry within a few seconds. Close to five million watts of charging power ensures that the batteries on board get recharged.

As the maritime industry searches for the means to meet ever tightening emission regulations, battery power sits at the center of future paths to decarbonization. Sterling PBES launched CanPower, an all-encompassing energy storage system (ESS) microgrid. The CanPower 'Microgrid in a Box' promises to add energy storage to virtually any vessel, without the need for complex design and build times.According to Sterling PBES, two of the main hurdles facing shipowners wishing to install ESS’ are the physical footprints of the systems and the complexity of the installation.

One can hardly read industry news these days without seeing mention of hybrid vessels or batteries. We’ve all heard the praise and the pitfalls discussed by proponents and critics alike. This article is not intended to convince you if batteries are right for you or not. Instead, for owners wondering if batteries are feasible for their operation, the optimal vessel characteristics and operational parameters for all-electric vessels are presented and discussed.Hybrid vessels, generally defined by having both a diesel engine and batteries…

Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet unveiled its new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) system, which it says offers all the advantages of electric drive with the full capabilities of diesel.The system delivers lower fossil fuel consumption (reduced further when dock charging, as infrastructure allows) combined with the speed, maneuverability, efficiency and safety of waterjets, the manufacturer says.With EHX, HamiltonJet delivers the electric motors, power electronics and control system seamlessly integrated with the waterjets, engines, gearboxes or clutches.

Hybridization in the marine world is transitioning from the latest fad to a key part of vessel design and retrofits. Driven in part by a demand for increased efficiency and new waves of global legislation, hybridizing or electrifying a vessel is quickly becoming necessary for organizations. In fact, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules and guidelines for the marine industry call for reduced emissions globally, and some ports around the world have established ambitious…

Volvo Penta has announced that it is to complete a feasibility study together with ABB in Sweden and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg to evaluate technology concepts that can meet the challenge of providing fast charging of electric vessels.“While all-electric boating remains in its infancy, for this exciting new transport system to be a success and grow, a network of fast charging stations needs to be developed,” says Niklas Thulin, Director Electromobility, Volvo Penta.

Harvey Energy, the first platform supply vessel (PSV) to be fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will become the first PSV in the Americas to be hybrid retrofitted. The vessel's owner, Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf International Marine, has ordered an energy storage solution from the technology group Wärtsilä to significantly enhance Harvey Energy's efficiency and environmental performance.The installation of a Wärtsilä 1450 kW battery hybrid solution will reduce the ship’s exhaust emissions, fuel consumption, and noise level.

A consortium, led by Bowman Power Group Ltd has created a new, marine-capable system designed to increase engine efficiency and reduce emissions.According to Bowman, the timing of this technology couldn't be better, coming just months after the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reached an agreement to cut carbon emissions from the global shipping industry by at least half by 2050.The project was part-funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, and a leading research and innovation hub.

NCE Maritime CleanTech business cluster is establishing a new Norwegian catapult center to build up expertise and testing facilities for its partner organizations. The center aims to be at the forefront in making the Norwegian marine industry greener, smarter and more innovative.NCE Maritime CleanTech’s initiative Sustainable Maritime Norwegian Catapult Center was announced as one of the three winners among the 15 business clusters that applied to Siva, the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway, to fund a new catapult arrangement.

The Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has signed an agreement with the international shipping company Hagland Shipping AS for a hybrid retrofit installation.The project will take place onboard the ‘Hagland Captain’, a general cargo vessel owned by Hagland Shipping. It will be the first project of its kind ever in short-sea shipping applications. The agreement was signed in December 2018.The installation of a Wärtsilä battery hybrid propulsion solution will significantly enhance the ship’s environmental performance by reducing its emissions, fuel consumption, and noise. Included in the solution are a shore power connection to provide power for loading/unloading operations and for battery charging…

Wärtsilä’s hybrid power module, the Wärtsilä HY, has been granted Approval in Principle (AIP) by ABS. This AIP follows another issued by ABS in 2017 for Wärtsilä’s hybrid propulsion tug designs.Wärtsilä said it leveraged its strengths in both engine design and electrical and automation (E&A) systems do develop the fully integrated hybrid power module combining engines, an energy storage system and power electronics optimized to work together through a newly developed energy management system (EMS).

Norwegian Sintef Ocean and ABB Marine will use two 30kW hydrogen fuel cells, set up in laboratory to model the operation and control of a complete marine power system in a megawatt-scale propulsion plant."ABB and Sintef Ocean are undertaking groundbreaking research to test the viability of fuel cells as an energy source for main ship propulsion. The new research project seeks to provide the answers required for fuel cell technology to be delivered at the scale needed to power commercial and passenger ships," said a press release.The testing methodology, to be developed at Sintef Ocean’s Trondheim-based laboratory, will use two 30kW fuel cells…