Energy Storage System News

One of the world’s largest and most advanced subsea construction vessels has been equipped with three energy storage systems (ESS), featuring for the first time ever energy and load sharing capability.Finland based technology group Wärtsilä said the new system on board North Sea Shipping AS owned North Sea Giant combines a diesel-electric configuration with batteries, and is designed to deliver as much as 50 percent fuel savings in optimal operating conditions.The installation was carried out in February 2018.

Corvus Energy signed a contract with Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) for the marine world’s largest battery package to be installed on board Havila Kystruten’s coastal vessels.Corvus Energy will deliver an air-cooled ESS with Corvus’ patented single-cell thermal isolation.“The Energy Storage System has a capacity per vessel of 6,100 kWh, which is double the capacity of any existing battery-operated ferries,” says Roger Rosvold, Vice President Sales at Corvus Energy. The newbuilds…

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.

Wartsila has won a 6 MW energy storage project contract for the Caribbean island of Bonaire from ContourGlobal Bonaire, a subsidiary of London based ContourGlobal.The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) hybrid energy project includes both the hardware, consisting of batteries and inverters, as well as GEMS, the energy management software from Greensmith Energy, a Wartsila company."The energy storage system will enable Bonaire, part of the Netherlands Antilles, to increase its use of renewable energy such as wind and solar.

ST Engineering has announced that its Marine arm has won $560m worth of new contracts in the last quarter of 2018. Fast Patrol Boats For the Singapore Police Coast GuardThe Ministry of Home Affairs has awarded ST Engineering a contract for the design, construction and maintenance of Fast Patrol Boats for the Singapore Police Coast Guard. Construction of the boats is expected to commence in mid-2019.145 MW Floating Power BargeST Engineering and Siemens have jointly received an order for a SCC-800 2X1C SeaFloat barge-mounted power plant from Seaboard Corporation subsidiary Transcontinental Capital Corporation (Bermuda) Ltd., an Independent Power Producer with operation in Dominican Republic.Under a turnkey plug and play concept…

New Zeland's multi-disciplined electrotechnology company McKay announced that they are to develop and implement the country's first plug-in fully electrical ferry along SSC Marine, which is planned to be built in Wellington.According to the company statement, the ferry is the first of its kind in New Zealand and also in the entire southern hemisphere.The project will consist of a modern, composite catamaran ferry using a McKay designed and installed power and energy management, energy storage system and electric propulsion systems.

Marine propulsion manufacturers are not just responding to but are anticipating tighter performance demands from the U.S. EPA  and the IMO by introducing both new and upgraded systems based on state-of-the-art propulsion technologies. Tom Mulligan reviews the latest engine product launches.AIP for MAN cryo Liquid Hydrogen Fuel-Gas systemMAN Cryo, a subsidiary of MAN Energy Solutions, has developed a marine fuel-gas system for liquefied hydrogen in cooperation with Fjord1 and Multi Maritime 0f Norway.

A primer on the quickly evolving topic of on board battery technology.Energy storage itself is actually old news. Since the sails were taken down for good, merchant vessels have crossed the oceans using some kind of energy safely stored on board. Be it Coal, Diesel, Gasoline or Natural Gas, and regardless of energy type, safe storage onboard has been vital for safety and completion of the planned trip. On the other hand, active use of batteries in propulsion systems is relatively new.

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).

A new multipurpose 45-meter patrol ship will be used by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Service for a wide range of operations, including firefighting, anti-smuggling and search and rescue missions, but its main use will be in combating pollution threats.The new vessel, Raju, is the largest patrol vessel ever built by Estonia’s Baltic Workboats, and is the first in the firm’s emerging range of battery hybrid patrol ships.From 2021 the Baltic Sea will become an Emission Control Area (ECA)…

Rolls-Royce has been delivering energy storage systems for ships since 2010, but the actual energy storage units were previously supplied by an external party. The company announced today it is launching its own lithium-ion based energy storage system.Energy storage can be a major green investment for a ship owner, with maximized returns when the system is correctly dimensioned for the specific ship, and includes intelligent power control.Rolls-Royce said its new SAVe Energy liquid cooled battery system is cost competitive…

BMT has announced the launch of a striking new hybrid ferry design which could pave the way for a cleaner, more cost-efficient energy option for ferry operators. At 31m, the 149-passenger ‘Eco Ferry’ has a top speed of 20 knots and offers an unrivaled, intelligent hybrid system delivering smooth, silent and vibration-free power. John Bonafoux, Managing Director at BMT explains. “Greener ferry systems have to be   the future and we’re extremely excited to be launching this new hybrid design.

Cress Systems helps container terminals reduce fuel bills, emissions and power peaks with ProwESS energy storage for rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs). New technology allows container ports and terminals to capture, store and reuse energy from container yard handling equipment to reduce fuel cost and emissions and better manage peak electricity demands. Following a successful proof of concept trial at the UK Port of Felixstowe, Cress Systems is pleased to announce the commercial release of its ProwESS energy capture, storage and reuse system for container terminal yard handling equipment.

Vard Holdings Limited said it has secured a new contract for the design and construction of a new stern trawler for HAVFISK AS. The contract value is slightly below NOK 400 million. The vessel will be the world’s first stern trawler with an integrated energy storage system, consisting of diesel mechanical/diesel electric propulsion and batteries. The energy storage system together with VARD’s SeaQ Power Management System for power optimization in all operations, will ensure low emission of carbon dioxide, NOx and noise.

PBES and Virtue Investment Fund today announced the completion of terms and transfer of first tranche of funds for an investment into PBES’ parent company TTB Holdings. In a first investment phase Virtue Investment is initially investing up to $5M USD into the group and is committed to investing further during 2018. This investment will provide PBES energy storage both immediate and on going financial support to help develop global markets and position PBES for initial public offering in 2018. “Virtue Investment Fund is the ideal partner to help PBES grow to the next level and deliver existing business,” said Brent Perry, PBES Chief Executive Officer. “We are very happy to have found the right partner to help us grow.

With 13 new contracts secured in Q4 2017, VARD Holdings Limited's order intake of NOK 3.79 billion in the quarter increased the full year order intake ended December 31, 2017 to NOK 8.28 billion. The new contracts include a luxury polar expedition cruise vessel for a return customer, PONANT. The vessel is the first electric hybrid cruise icebreaker with dual fuel propulsion, featuring high-capacity batteries and LNG storage on board. The vessel is specially designed to take passengers to polar destinations.

As one of the most important megatrends this decade, digitalization is already moving beyond the concept of connectivity and data gathering towards a greater and more integrated future where the entire industry coexists as one digital ecosystem. As this vision becomes a reality, we will see a new era of partnerships, knowledge sharing, and AI-led practices. Disruptive technologies and ground-breaking projects have begun to transform the maritime landscape, and the opportunities…

Kongsberg has received an order to deliver unique ‘Full Picture’ technology upgrades for a further three Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) owned by Mantenimiento Express Marítimo SAPI de CV (“MEXMAR”), Seacor  Marine’s joint venture in Mexico. The contract follows the September 2017 contract for the same ground-breaking upgrade package on the Seacor Maya PSV, which was an important step taken by MEXMAR towards meeting the increasing industry demand to reduce the environmental footprint of offshore operations.

PBES and NORIS Automation GmbH have partnered on the hybrid drive systems for Europe’s first battery hybrid patrol vessel. The 45m long vessel is being built at Baltic Workboats Shipyard in Estonia and will be delivered with 273kWh of PBES Power 65 battery modules. “PBES batteries provide hours of low speed propulsion with reduced sound and heat signature as well as greatly increased efficiency,” said Brent Perry, PBES Chief Executive Officer. “The vessel is first of many that we will be seeing in law enforcement.

Offshore services vessel operator SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. said it has formed a jointly owned company with affiliates of the world’s largest ship owner, COSCO Shipping Group. The Marshall Islands company, SEACOSCO Offshore LLC, entered into contracts for the purchase of eight Rolls-Royce designed new construction platform supply vessels (PSV) from COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. Six of the PSVs are of UT 771WP design (4,400 tons deadweight), and two are of UT 771CD design (3,800 tons deadweight).

Wärtsilä said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a new environmentally friendly tug design for a new port facility being built in the Brazilian city of São Mateus. The MoU, signed with Petrocity, parent company of a new port facility, will see Wärtsilä develop a harbor tug design based on its recently launched Wärtsilä HYTug, which features hybrid propulsion and energy storage using batteries. The prime consideration is to maximize the ecological operational…

The technology group Wärtsilä has agreed to retrofit the world’s first energy storage solution on board a large offshore supply vessel. The North Sea Giant, one of the world’s largest and most advanced subsea construction vessels, will be fitted with an energy storage system that reduces the vessel’s energy consumption, operating costs and exhaust emissions. The retrofit energy storage system improves the operational efficiency and environmental footprint of the North Sea Giant, responding to key requirements of Norwegian North Sea Shipping AS, the owner of the vessel.

Digitization sets the new standard for the entire industry, says Wärtsilä on a November 24 press meeting in London. Wärtsilä has announced an ambitious vision to lead the marine industry into a smart technology future by catalyzing innovative developments leading to high connectivity and optimisation for the entire sector. Wärtsilä sees four significant trends that will reshape the industry: big data analytics and data flow will change the way the industry works, there will be more smart vessels and automated smart ports, and a shared capacity will improve rates and reduce costs.