Dimitrios V. Lyridis, NTUA analyzed the issue of ‘’Ships and Ports Electrification’’ during the 2016 GREEN4SEA Conference & Awards. He said that both EU and IMO policy in maritime transportation aim at more efficient use of resources, i.e. the development and/or exploitation of energy sources in a way that the environmental impact is minimized or completely eliminated. This is especially important in ports where, for various reasons, emissions (not only greenhouse gases) are more harmful and which, due to the globalization and the evolution of international trade, have become key drivers of the economic development of several countries. But it is also true for vessel routes of very small distances. He explained that the electrification of ports and such vessels answers this problem by encouraging and supporting the investment in science and technology in smart grids and in cold ironing technologies and in electric or hybrid propulsion.
The following graph shows that if you make a retrofit of an approximately 90$ million per year in ports and another 80$ million per year in ships then you expect 30$ million in savings and an external saving regarding public health and the environment of 100$ million per year. But how is this possible?
A set of regulations are coming; the Tier I, II, III regulations on emission control areas especially the NOx emission control areas, considered to be pretty tough. Also ports are considered as a particular problem for the following reasons: Engines running off design point; Many ships concentrated in a small area and close to large centres of population; their local geography concentrates effects ‘in a bowl’; they are next to land, , many times their emissions are both visible and audible.
The below graph depicts a generator operating profile of a chemical tanker that loads cargo, even with the engines shut down. During the day the generator one does not work but one it operates at about 35% of MCR. Although the EEDI index assumes that the generator operates at 75%, so they have completely forgotten the connection with reality and how these generators operate in ports. In some cases it can be lower higher but almost never they do work at their maximum efficiency. Even the emissions from generators are a big problem.
On the other hand, there are some alternative measures to combat emissions in Ships & Ports :
- Use of special (clean & costly) fuel. However, by this alternative you may reduce CO2 but NOx emissions remain, threating the public health.
- Use of electric propulsion. Forget completely the fossil fuel.
- Optimal selection operation at generator sets (dedicated port operator(s) )
- Shore-supply electricity/cold ironing (shut down of main and auxiliary engines-AMP)
Cold ironing is a very interesting idea but the problem is whether is technically, from regulatory point of view, or financially feasible. You need investments mainly in ports but also in ships such as power requirements of 500 kW for merchant vessels (bulk carriers, tankers, Ro-Ro) but for cruise vessels, the electric power can touch 5 MW.
The benefits are quite substantial to public health and the environment.
- Substantial benefits to public health and the environment
- Reduction of air emissions in the ports and the usually densely populated surrounding areas
- Reduction of noise and vibrations from ships at berth
- Upgrading of the quality of life with prospective growth in other sectors: trade, tourism
- Alignment with EU directive for SOx emissions (2020) and potential upcoming directives for NOx emissions
- Sustainable solution for compliance with the recent historical international agreement for climate change that sets medium- (2020) and long- (2050) targets for the end of the fossil fuel era and redirection to clean energy sources (Paris Agreement 2015 – COP21)
- Sustainable connectivity for islands in archipelago states
Additionally, there are some financial and operational benefits.
- Exploitation of low-carbon electric energy generated by inland power stations
- Promoting commercial implementation & port competitiveness
- Preparing ports for use of alternative energy sources, port connection to smartgrid
- Preparing ports for accommodation electric/hybrid ships
- Boosting sustainable shipping with emphasis in short and mid-range mobility
- Introducing zero emission solutions and blending the renewable energy with the shipping sector
- Revival of local ship construction activity, especially for smaller ships: the only non-dead shipbuilding activity in Greece
- Enhancing employment in the wider shipping industry
- Boosting growth by accelerating technology uptake
- Making island mobility more sustainable
Also ship and port electrification, at this current state, is aiming at vessels operating at very small distances up to 10 miles and vessels using batteries are mainly the open ferries between very small distances. These are the vessels that are especially built in shipyards in Greece, and this is the only non-dead shipyard activity. Actually, when making the promotion of electrification in ships, you constitute to the revival of local ship construction activity. These actions boost growth by accelerating technology uptake. And finally you can allow the interconnection for small distances in a clean way.
There are issues of course which I have tried to categorize them in six main segments: First we have regulatory issues as there is no for instance framework to this point where a port can buy large quantities and sell it in vessels and there are no regulatory procedures for bunkering. There are technical challenges especially for large connections as well as for the operations of electric vessels. For example if you have a very large battery that you want to charge it quickly you may have high risk of fire as the temperature is on high levels during the charging. Also there are operational challenges logistics, energy supply, electric “bunkering”, etc. And of course training requirements concerning the STCW electrically trained officers. Finally there are issues of how we uptake this new technology as well as financial issues on how we can invest and promote the technical solutions
There are already some regulations available and engine manufacturers who have foreseen electric vessels as well as sufficient research to allow this concept to flow into the market. So, it is not a new technology and there are ports in North America and Juneau terminal in Alaska to prove it, and almost most ports of the west coast of US are using cold ironing. Also the northern countries of Europe do use cold ironing for their ports or they are currently investing on it. Furthermore there are vessels operating like an open ferry that operates in Shetland Islands in Scotland. Those shipyards were about to close but now they produce this kind of ferries that really do operate. Another example, is an ECOtug in Australia which is a hybrid vessel that operates exclusively on battery power, while maintaining full manoeuvrability.
This initiative is based in a project we have developed which is led by Lloyd’s Register here in Athens, electrification of ports and ships in a corridor in South East Mediterranean. Our team is inspired by this vision and we hope to continue this project in the upcoming years.
Above text is an edited article of Dimitrios Lyridis presentation during the 2016 GREEN4SEA Conference & Awards
You may view his video presentation by clicking here
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of GREEN4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
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About Dimitrios V. Lyridis,
Associate Professor, School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, NTUA
Dimitrios V. Lyridis is an Associate Professor in the area of Maritime Transport in the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NA&ME) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and Head of the Laboratory for Maritime Transport of the School. He has a Diploma (1987) in NA&ME from NTUA (1987), an M.S. (1990) in NA&ME (Marine Systems Management) from the University of Michigan (UM), an M.S.E. (1990) in Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) from UM, and a Ph.D. (1990) in NA&ME from UM as well. After finishing his graduate studies, Dr. Lyridis worked in various positions and disciplines; he was involved in various projects in economics, transport, safety, and telematics; he provided management, administrative, and research support in a large number of research projects in maritime transport; he participated in a large number of transportation and economics related projects co-funded by the European Commission in the area of transportation policy and research; he undertook a large number of applied commercial projects in the areas of restructuring, marketing, business and operational planning of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Greece and in the EU as well as in developing countries (with emphasis on the Balkans, the Near East, and the former Soviet Republics). Specifically, in his previous position as Assistant Manager of the Business Development Department of LDK Consultants, he was responsible for the Small and Medium Enterprises sector and he was responsible for a series of projects in East European, former Soviet Republics, Near East and North African countries concerning, business planning, enterprise restructuring, and business development funded by the private sector, the EU and the World Bank. Currently, his main scientific areas of interest are maritime transport and logistics, shipping finance, safety, security, and environmental protection. He is member of various scientific and professional societies in Greece and abroad including the the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (USA), the International Association of Maritime Economists, and the Technical Chamber of Greece for which he is also member of one of its scientific committees. He is the Secretary of the Hellenic Association of Maritime Economists and Member of the Hellenic Committee of the Korean Register of Shipping. Apart from his Greek mother tongue, he is fluent in English and French and speaks also Italian and German.
Electrification of ships! Important for the transition. On the Dutch radio, they said that staying on a cruise ship was like receiving the emissions of 1 million cars.
Is this true?