HANSA 06-2019

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
Batteries on sea and terminal
The push for cleaner air and energy opens opportunities in
segments like cruise ships and workboats as well as terminal
equipment for battery maker Corvus Energy
© Selzer
The unused potential for battery applications
on board cruise and passenger ferries
is huge, says. Roger Rosvold, Vice President
Sales at Corvus Energy. »Batteries
reduce fuel consumption and maintenance
costs, cut pollution and, with increasing environmental
regulations and requirements
that will incur costs for air emissions, provide
a very compelling business case,« he
continues, adding, »The industry is just starting
to understand the power of batteries.«
Corvus Energy has recently 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 will
deliver an air-cooled ESS with the patented
single-cell thermal isolation, which exceeds
class requirements, to ensure the highest
level of safety. The Energy Storage System
has a capacity per vessel of 6,100 kWh, which
is double the capacity of any existing battery-operated
ferry.
The newbuilds are part of Havila’s contract
with Norwegian Ministry of Transport
for the construction of four environmentally-friendly
vessels to operate on the
Bergen-Kirkenes coastal route from 2021.
Two of the vessels will be built by Turkish
shipbuilder Tersan and the remaining by
Spanish Barreras. At a length of 125 m and
a width of 20 m, the ships will have a hybrid
gas-electric propulsion system with battery,
where four gas-powered engines in each
vessel run the generators. The system is also
adapted to the next generation of technology,
using hydrogen fuel cells.
One of Corvus’ latest projects is the supply
of a 550 kWh Energy Storage System (ESS)
for a new all-electric skimmer workboat. The
ESS will allow the boat to be in full working
mode for four to five hours, and a full battery
charge will take just two hours. In addition,
the vessel has solar panels on board. The vessel
will be a replacement for the current litter
skimmer boat Pelikan that has picked up
about 1,500 t of trash from the Oslo harbour
water surface within its 30 service years.
The 12 m long aluminum vessel will be
built by Grovfjord Mek. Verksted (GMV),
a shipyard that specializes in aluminum
workboats and previously built the world’s
first fully-electric fish farm boat. The boat
will be powered by two electric propulsion
engines and four electric side thrusters. The
combination of deck equipment, manoeuvrability
and energy storage will make this
zero-emission skimmer workboat more efficient
than the previous one. Delivery is expected
in December 2019.
Roger Rosvold, Vice President Sales at Corvus
Energy is clear in his predictions: »Electrifying
workboats in harbours has only just
begun. For example, the Navtek ZeeTUG zero-emissions
all-electric tug will take to the
water this spring to operate in Istanbul harbour.
We are confident that we will see a massive
shift from diesel to battery on all kinds of
harbour-going vessels due to substantial benefits.
Battery power reduces emissions, which
are increasingly regulated in many ports and
harbours. Moreover, batteries are safer and
quieter for the crew, and save both fuel and
maintenance costs for the owners.«
The battery use does not stop at the quay
wall – and not in Northern Europe – but
continues on shore at the terminal where
Corvus is going to supply the energy storage
system (ESS) for battery-hybrid RTG
cranes by CCCC Shanghai Equipment Engineering
(CCCCSEE). The order is for various
retrofit and newbuild deliveries by its
affiliate ZPMC in Chinese ports. Unlike conventional
diesel electric port cranes, the hybrid
version is powered primarily from the
Corvus battery package resulting in fuel savings
of up to 65%, according to the Canadian
company. The added benefits of reduced operating
costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions
and lower noise levels at the terminal
make a very attractive business case.
The Orca Energy ESS stores regenerative
braking energy captured as the RTG crane
lowers a container – a high-current charge
that most battery systems cannot sustain.
The stored energy is used to power the RTG
crane during operations such as trolley and
gantry movement, allowing the diesel engine
to be shut off when it would traditionally
be idling or operating inefficiently at
low loads. The size of the generator can be
smaller, the generator can be used less often
and its operation optimized for fuel efficiency.ED
HANSA International Maritime Journal 06 | 2019
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