After 15 years of comprehensive research study, job companions Eidesvik Offshore, Wärtsilä Norway and also DNV GL have actually just recently introduced the closure of the FellowSHIP job. It intended to discover using battery, crossbreed and also gas cell innovation in the maritime market.

“FellowSHIP has been a productive project,” states Bj ørn-Johan Vartdal, Maritime Programme Director for Technology and also Research for DNV GLGroup “Its results have shaped our knowledge of battery and hybrid power on board ships and enabled the industry to implement innovations which will help to enable the next generation of more efficient and sustainable vessels.”

The job companions began to discover aquatic gas cell innovation in 2003 and also set up a model gas cell aboard Eidesvik Offshore’s Viking Lady PSV in 2010.

While the gas cell vision might have led its time in 2003, evidence of principle and also fundamental concepts for maritime gas cells were developed that led the market via the following phases of advancement.

In the last stages of the FellowSHIP job, emphasis moved to showing the applicability of crossbreed battery power systems, and also the job signified the fee to lithium ion batteries. Now, course policies have actually been developed and also the innovation is totally marketed; hence the companions have actually figured out that it is time to deactivate FellowSHIP.

Learning by doing

The change in emphasis to batteries came partially as a response to gas cell efficiency: “Fuel cells had a slower response time, and we found that battery power could compensate for that,” states Bj ørn-Johan Vartdal

But rate of interest in batteries promptly expanded for various other factors too: “Batteries became more interesting as an enabler, such as providing reserve power to meet redundancy requirements, and as an alternative to spinning power to handle variable loads, or peak shaving. Fuel savings of 15 per cent were also identified, with short payback periods,” Bj ørn-Johan Vartdal records.

The FellowSHIP job took place to record numerous various other benefits of hybrid power along with sustain cost savings. Enhanced vessel efficiency, sound decrease and also boosted safety and security because of quicker reaction time were simply a few of the advantages accomplished by incorporating battery power with gas cell and also LNG. But probably one of the most substantial benefit has actually ended up being discharges decrease.

“Viking Lady operates on LNG, and burning gas at low loads produces higher amounts of methane. Using batteries to cover low load requirements allowed us to reduce methane emissions,” states Øystein Alnes, Principle Maritime Engineer for DNV GL. This is amongst the factors that the mix of battery and also gas power is appealing; not simply for the overseas fleet, however additionally for worldwide delivery: “With the upcoming sulfur cap, gas will become more important. LNG or LPG will help companies meet clean fuel requirements, and batteries can help ensure the desired performance.”

The ecological benefits of batteries promptly emerged, however safety and security needed to be guaranteed too. The FellowSHIP job gave the field for determining both aspects. “The safety element is critical,” Øystein Alnes explains. “Batteries are a potentially risky component, and they must be taken seriously. DNV GL was the first to issue class rules for marine lithium ion batteries, and FellowSHIP defined our knowledge of battery technology.”

The begin of something large

Vermund Hjelland, Vice President of Technology and also Development for Eidesvik Offshore, credit scores the job for bringing batteries aboard their ships. “Eidesvik is continuously searching for the most forward-looking, efficient and environmentally friendly ship designs and operational solutions for our fleet. Upgrading four of our ships with battery systems since 2016 would never have happened without the results, experience and knowledge obtained through the FellowSHIP project,” he wraps up.

The Norwegian Research Council given financing throughout the job duration. Øystein Alnes keeps that groundbreaking public– personal jobs like FellowSHIP are necessary for progressing expertise of brand-new modern technologies.

“FellowSHIP brought down barriers to commercialization of battery hybrid technology and helped to resolve safety issues,” Øystein Alnes states, including that the job brought a greater degree of understanding of the needs and also the opportunities for batteries to business delivery. “Developments in battery technology would have happened eventually, but everything has to start somewhere, and the marine battery revolution started with Viking Lady.”

The cleanest ship success

That transformation has actually currently come to be institutionalised in numerous elements of delivery. “Low or zero emission propulsion is now a requirement in many tenders,” states ØysteinAlnes “Return on investment in batteries drove the discussion initially. Now, batteries are often the key to getting jobs, and demands from contractors have become a key driver for the industry.”

As the biggest driver on the Norwegian continental rack (NCS), Equinor has numerous factors to value the developments that the FellowSHIP job showed to the market: “Equinor’s ambition is to be a leader in carbon-efficient oil and gas production, and to reduce emissions from our logistics activities,” states Helge Såtendal, Principal Consultant, Supply Chain Management,Marine Operations “Batteries on platform supply vessels allow for more efficient operation of motors, reducing CO2 and NOx emissions and lowering fuel consumption.”

Ingve Sørfonn, Head of Technology & & Development for Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, Power Conversion, keeps in mind that the FellowSHIP job has actually been just one of the crucial commercial jobs for showing, confirming and also recording brand-new, effective and also reduced exhaust modern technologies for the future. “The fuel savings and emission reductions achieved during the different phases of the project have been enablers for developing the maritime industry in a more sustainable direction,” he mentions.

Results from the FellowSHIP job were released globally throughout the life of the job, adding to the fundamental market expertise of crossbreed battery systems. Bj ørn-Johan Vartdal summarize: “The field is open now. Each supplier will find their own battery hybrid solutions, but FellowSHIP proved it was possible.”

Source: DNV GL