Swedish power company Vattenfall and marine propulsion provider Echandia Marine announced development of a new system for electric ferries, designed to provide superfast charging, while minimizing emissions and lowering operational and maintenance costs.
Harvey Gulf International Marine has chosen the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to class two Offshore Supply Vessels (OSV) being retrofitted with a dual fuel as well as battery system. The Harvey Energy will become the first US-flagged OSV equipped with a battery/converter system.
Canadian transport company Seaspan Ferries announced it will be adding two new LNG – battery hybrid ferries to its fleet. With construction scheduled to begin in 2019, the vessels are expected to go into operation in 2021.
According to Trine Heinemann, project co-ordinator for the EU Horizon 2020 funded project, E-ferry breaks many barriers, as its route covers a 22-nautical mile, it will be able to sail to longer distances in comparison to other electric ferries, it will also have the largest battery pack installed at sea, and it won’t have emergency back-up generator.
Hurtigruten launched silent, electric-powered and emission-free catamarans. The company has collaborated with Norwegian startup Brim Explorer, in order to introduced the battery powered catamarans, which are custom built for Polar water exploration. Starting operations in the spring of 2020, the 24-meter vessel will operate in daily ocean excursions from Longyearbyen on the Arctic island of Svalbard.
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Maid of the Mist, which has been navigating the waters of the Lower Niagara River, is preparing to launch the first two new all-electric, zero-emission passenger vessels constructed in the US. The vessels will be launched later this year. The new vessels will be placed into service in mid-September.
Torqeedo provided the integrated propulsion system for the world’s first electric-powered freefall lifeboat, which is being built by the Dutch builder Verhoef. The vessel recently passed its final drop tests, making it the first fully functional electric lifeboat in the world.
China Dynamics signed a cooperation agreement with four business units under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC). The parties will develop new generation electric ships and new electric ferryboats, with the technology being applied in other suitable vessel types and promoted in Hong Kong and markets globally.
The Friends of Ocean Action, a coalition of over 50 ocean leaders who seek solutions to the most pressing challenges for the ocean, organized an Ocean Day in Davos, in the beginning of March. The event touched upon shipping emissions and the possibility of a carbon free future.
As the maritime industry grows, its emissions production does as well. Today, the industry is responsible for 2.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the number expected to grow, as global trade rises. ABB believes electrification can provide a definite solution to this issue. According to ABB, the next generation of ships will be electric, digital and connected.
