Hybrid Systems News

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.

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.

Aluminium vessel builder Strategic Marine has signed a memorandum of understanding with Purus Wind’s UK-based crew transfer vessel owner HST Marine, to build three Brevity-class crew transfer vessels. The agreement binds the two parties to negotiations on a vessel building contract for the Chartwell Marine-designed 27-meter catamarans. The Brevity-class designs, launched in June 2022, are designed to serve the offshore wind support vessel market.The Brevity class CTVs, able to accommodate 32 people…

Norwegian maritime technology and equipment provider Kongsberg Maritime has secured an order from Grimaldi Group to supply engineering and technology for two new Roll-on/Roll-off(Ro-Ro) vessels. The vessels, which will be built at China Merchant Jinling Shipyard, are scheduled for delivery in 2025.Kongsberg Maritime will supply marine automation system and Auto Chief 600 propulsion control systems, hybrid systems, converters, battery energy storage of 5MWh, battery management system, maneuvering, and propulsion systems.

Tim Clerc’s maritime career spans half a century, starting with his cadet training in 1969 in the U.K. He sees hybrid technology as one of the most transformational technological developments in maritime in that span, and the company is currently awaiting its 10th hybrid, the Seacor Yangtze. Clerc discusses the hybrid strategy and offers some practical insights.If you had to pick one technology that you think has made the business of running ships more efficient, more cost effective…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Solstad Offshore's Normand Naley and Sea Frost platform supply vessels have been awarded five-year contracts by Equinor in the UK.Both contracts, of an undisclosed value, will be in effect for five years, starting in January 2023. The contracts include options for further extensions.The Sea Frost, which has been on contract with Equinor since 2017, will be upgraded with a battery-hybrid system and shore power as part of the contract. The Normand…

Allseas is fitting its pipelay vessels Solitaire and Audacia, as well as the multi-purpose vessel Fortitude, with hybrid power technology from Kongsberg Maritime.The offshore installation firm says that vessel hybridization is key to its strategy to minimize the impact on the environment by optimizing efficiency and reducing emissions across its operations."Energy storage technology optimizes energy and load-sharing capability. Batteries store energy when demand is low and deliver it back when demand increases, shaving peaks in power demand. The result is optimal engine loading with improved fuel efficiency and reduced running hours."…

The U.S. Navy released on Tuesday a climate strategy that aims to make the force more resilient to changes like sea level rise and coastal erosion while moving faster to low-carbon fuels and hybrid engines for ships and planes.The Climate Action 2030 plan, is part of the Biden administration's wider goal of decarbonizing the economy by 2050."By building a climate ready force, our sailors and Marines will be able to fight and win anywhere in the world in any condition," Meredith Berger…

Three Solstad Offshore platform supply vessels (PSV) have secured new contracts with energy company ConocoPhillips Skandinavia, the Norwegian offshore vessels owner announced on Thursday.Normand Server, Normand Supporter and Normand Fortune, each on charter with ConocoPhillips Scandinavia since 2018, have been extended to continue support activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.The new contracts will start in direct continuation of current firm periods, and keep the vessels fully utilized to Q1/Q2 2027.The three vessels were built from 2011 through 2013 at Norwegian yards (Normand Fortune at Kleven and Normand Supporter and Normand Server at Vard Langsten) and range from 85.6 to 94.2 meters in length. Each is fitted with battery-hybrid systems in addition to shore power.

I recently built a 35 foot Solar Hybrid Electric Wheelchair Accessible Catamaran for my wife who became wheelchair bound a few years ago. (In typing this sentence, I just realized that this vessel can be referred to as a SHEWAC)It is only a 35 foot recreational vessel, but it contains all the propulsion pieces that are found in any other modern hybrid propelled vessel.I have operated the vessel for one summer and have learned a lot of things that I had not considered when I first conceived her.Fortunately…

WinGD, an engine maker for the merchant shipping industry, has won a contract to integrate hybrid energy systems on four newbuild car carriers for Japanese owner NYK Line.The company said the order further expanded its portfolio of future-ready power solutions for companies navigating shipping’s energy transition.The four pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) will run on LNG, with WinGD’s 7X62DF-2.1 two-stroke engines coupled with shaft generators, DC-links and battery systems.WinGD said it has optimized spinning reserves…

Expectations are high that exhaust gas scrubber technology demand will soon be resurge. But what lessons have been learned from installations and which type will dominate?Installing scrubber systems on ships that were never envisaged to have them on board has brought well documented challenges for older tonnage, with accurate drawings and documents sometimes hard to source. Where class documentation is concerned, meanwhile, different societies can have subtly different requirements…

Students in the Marine Diesel Engine Technician Program at Louisiana’s Fletcher Technical Community College will get an opportunity to obtain hands-on experience thanks to four diesel engines being donated to the school by Baudouin, a relative newcomer to the U.S. engine market through Motor Services Hugo Stamp (MSHS Group), its master distributor. The four 6M26.3 Baudouin engines donated to the school will enable Fletcher students to work on the same engines currently in use…

As owners and operators work to achieve dramatic new emission reductions, vessels’ cooling solutions should not be overlooked.A  wave of green initiatives is sweeping through the maritime market as owners and operators seek ways to reduce emissions from their vessels. One company supporting this drive is R.W. Fernstrum, a global leader in engineering and manufacturing keel cooling technologies.Sean Fernstrum, the company’s president, sees a mix of power and propulsion solutions—each with its own list of pros and cons—combining to help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. And R.W.

Technological advancement is opening new doors for hybrid and fully electric vessels.In mid-2020, the U.S. Navy accepted the delivery of the USS Zumwalt, the Navy’s first full-electric power and propulsion surface combatant. The ship’s new electric propulsion plant provides favorable efficiency coupled with a reduced total cost of ownership. The design is flexible and efficient to deliver power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Its adoption is symbolic of a maritime future and what could be in store for other marine craft…

Retrofits of new features into existing ports cranes can produce operational efficiency and safety gains not included on cranes delivered 15-20 years ago, including Ship-to-Shore (STS) Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) and Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) types. Here, Dmitry Lapin, Knowledge and Development Manager, Port Services, Konecranes, looks at retrofit options proven in applications internationally.Sooner or later, the owners of ports cargo handling equipment are going to face a number of technical and organizational questions about the future.

Finnish maritime technology firm Wärtsilä and Grieg Edge, the innovation hub of Norwegian shipping group Grieg Star, are working on a joint project to launch an ammonia-fuelled tanker producing no greenhouse gas emissions by 2024. With Norwegian government support worth 46.3 million NOK (4.4 million EUR), the partnership aims to build what will be the world's first green ammonia fuelled tanker."The MS Green Ammonia project is the result of a Nordic industrial collaboration group founded from the Zeeds (Zero Emissions Energy Distribution at Sea) initiative…

How have major events such as the U.S./China trade war, oil price fall and COVID-19 impacted Twin Disc’s commercial marine business to date, and what adjustments have you made in response?These are the three things that I’ve been highlighting in employee communications and with investors over the last few months. For us, COVID was just the third punch after the other two. China is typically our second largest market after the U.S., and we lost lots of orders to our competitors as the trade war started to affect us. It’s rebounding a little, but it definitely impacted our sales into China.

The future is painted bright for companies dealing in hybrid and electric marine propulsion, as vessel owners and operators pursue cleaner technologies to comply with ever-stricter environmental regulations while also seeking ways to improve their bottom line.Case in point is Germany-based electric drives manufacturer Torqeedo, which has to date delivered more than 100,000 electric propulsion products for a wide range of recreational and commercial customers.The hybrid/electric market is one that’s ripe for growth, says Dr. Ralf Plieninger, COO and CTO, Torqeedo.

Finland-based Valmet said it has booked an order with Japan's Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Shimonoseki Shipyard to deliver hybrid scrubber systems and water treatment units to two ferries. Each vessel will be equipped with two identical Valmet Marine Scrubber towers for each main engine and a water treatment unit as well as Valmet’s marine automation system. The order value was not disclosed. The vessels will be delivered from Mitsubishi Shimonoseki shipyard to Meimon Taiyo Ferry Co., Ltd.

Our planet is facing its greatest challenge, and it’s not coronavirus. Asbjørn Halsebakke, Product Manager, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch, ponders how greater political action could help the maritime industry meet its most ambitious environmental goals.Why hasn’t the climate crisis elicited the same urgent response from global governments as the corona pandemic? When confronted with the terrible threat of viral spread, national leaders from Boris Johnson to Narendra Modi…

Our planet is facing its greatest challenge, and it’s not coronavirus. Asbjørn Halsebakke, Product Manager, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch, ponders how greater political action could help the maritime industry meet its most ambitious environmental goals.Why hasn’t the climate crisis elicited the same urgent response from global governments as the corona pandemic? When confronted with the terrible threat of viral spread, national leaders from Boris Johnson to Narendra Modi…

Fischer Panda UK has introduced the new FP Control, offering enhanced data monitoring capabilities across its generator range.Standardizing the platform with a central system, the advanced control solution will be available with all the latest Fischer Panda gensets.The FP Control, which allows various set-ups as well as the connection to a CAN BUS system, monitors the generator and provides up-to-date operational information via a digital display.As supplied with the newly-launched variable speed hybrid DC VS Series generators…