Diesel-electric propulsion systems have been well tried and tested over many years, but new hybrid systems herald a new dawn in electrical power for shipping. Within the last three weeks, the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Viking Lady – owned and operated by Norway’s Eidesvik Offshore – has been fitted with a battery pack to supplement her LNG-powered fuel cell and gas engines, developed jointly by Wärtsilä, DNV and the Norwegian offshore vessel owner.
The 5,900 dwt vessel, probably the most environmentally friendly OSV afloat, will use power stored in her batteries whilst in port, during low-load dynamic-positioning operations, and as an extra source of power at high engine loads. The recyclable lithium polymer battery pack will be capable of producing 5MW of power over short periods. The vessel has worked for both Total and Statoil in the North Sea.
Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has just signed a contract for an electrically-powered Azipull propulsion system which will provide all the power required by a new ferry running between Lavik and Oppedal in Norway. Rechargeable batteries will enable the 120-car ferry to operate at 10 knots on her 20-minute crossing between the two ports. The batteries will be charged whilst loading and unloading, and overnight when the vessel is moored alongside. And, in a few weeks’ time, Maersk Line will commission the first of its 20 Triple-E class containerships which will have waste heat recovery systems installed on board.
Clarkson commented recently that cost and power limits have rendered electric propulsion uneconomic for large vessels up to now. However, the analyst noted that a greater emphasis on fuel efficiency has been a catalyst in the development of new innovative designs incorporating hybrid mechanical/electric propulsion, waste heat and exhaust gas recovery and the development of high voltage shore connections for larger vessels.
Eidesvik Offshore president and ceo Jan Fredrik Meling, speaking recently at a Wärtsilä webinar on LNG as a future fuel for shipping, said he was convinced that new power management solutions are required. “I am convinced that the world wants to see new solutions,” he declared. Arnstein Eknes, DNV’s segment director, special ships agreed. He pointed out that the economics of ship operation have fundamentally changed. Only those with short-term vision could afford to do nothing, he said.
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