Call for standard charging plug for marine batteries

Marine batteries are becoming increasingly popular in passenger vessels, as well as other ship types, to reduce emissions for part or all of the voyage.

Jan-Erik Rasanen, CTO of ship designer Foreship, said “I don’t think we do a single ship design today without batteries.” The question was rather how big should the batteries be and what was the primary purpose of installing them.

However, in an interview with Seatrade Maritime News, Rasanen, highlighted a lack of standardisation when it comes to shoreside infrastructure for charging vessels with battery power.

“How do you connect the shape to the grid and start to charge the batteries for the short sea voyages? So, I think that's where the standardisation is lacking,” he said.

Shipowners are faced with multiple suppliers offering solutions that claim to be either be faster, or come with more references, or simply looks best, but all use a different type of plug.

“Nobody's really following the standard, and this is for me is strange because there is a high voltage shore connection standard, there is a low voltage short connection standard, and there is a DC connection standard,” he said. However, these standards are for vessels that plug in a berth for shoreside power but not for charging.

Related:Incat electric ferry to have record battery installation

Rasanen said he’d like to see the shoreside power standard built upon so there is a similar standard for fast charging of batteries while at shore, using a standardised plug and connection.

An example of this that is already in use is the charging connector used for automobiles. “You would never go and buy a car that doesn't have a standard plug, and nobody would ever sell it.”