How to decarbonize your ship - battery hybrid + varying engine load

Oct 10

Determine the impact of your operational profile and engine load on a business case for a battery hybrid

This case study examines a general cargo ship with an auxiliary engine of 116 kW that is outfitted with a battery to make it a ‘battery hybrid’ while at berth. The battery pack powers the ship for several hours while idling or moored and is recharged using the auxiliary engines. This particular case looks at the impact of different operational profiles on the business case. In other words, engine load is varied and OPEX savings determined based on different settings. Engine maintenance is the highest contributing factor on savings, in particular when the engine load is highly variable. This case study is powered by our preferred partner Royal Roos, who can support you with the engineering and refitting required to install a battery pack on board your vessel. Use the Battery Hybrid Single Engine Tool to make your own business case.

The case study is called ‘Major Prius’. Engine load settings vary between 10% - 100% while idling, resulting in an average power demand of 20 to 50 kW.
A CO2 reduction of 100% is achieved while the engine is turned off (evidently) but overall CO2 reduction is 10 to 30% because the battery pack needs to be recharged by the aux. engine itself.
CAPEX costs are estimated at €200k, but depend heavily on battery cell price, inclusion of manhours as well as vessel conversion required.
OPEX is reduced by over 50%, mainly because of engine maintenance savings, thereby achieving annual savings in the order of €20k-€30k. It is recommended to investigate a leasing or rental construction to negate CAPEX-out and still benefit from a clean, silent ship while at berth.

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How to decarbonize your ship - battery hybrid + varying engine load

This case study also examines a general cargo ship with an auxiliary engine of 116 kW that is outfitted with a battery to make it a ‘battery hybrid’ while at berth. Again the battery pack powers the ship for several hours while idling or moored and is recharged using the auxiliary engines. This time however, engine load is varied in different loading scenarios to determine the impact of different operational profiles on the business case.

How to decarbonize your ship - general cargo ship with battery hybrid

Overview of Shore Power Sockets and Plugs - IEC/IEEE 80005

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Mobilyze Renewable Energy Units (HBEs) with Robert Gunsing

Renewable Energy Units - Hernieuwbare Brandstof Eenheden - are a Dutch system of certificates based on the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED). Under the system, parties that produce liquid fossil fuels for transport have an obligation from the government to purchase REUs. Per year, €1 billion REUs are traded in the Netherlands. You can earn between 4.5 and 18 eurocents per kWh ‘sold’ to a vessel, for example when using shore power.

First Aid for a Sustainable Ship - Inland Waterways + Shore Battery

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Inside a Battery Container

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Maritime Battery Forum with Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker

During the lunch and learn, current forum Director Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker will exchange knowledge and experience from the usage of batteries within the shipping and offshore industries. You will learn which batteries will suit your vessel, plus discover the costs and payback for different operational modes. Which battery suits your vessel, your needs, your operational profile? This is the key question discussed in this lunch and learn with Maritime Battery Forum.

Battery for inland vessels

In February 2022, Skoon placed a battery system on Noordereiland for the Port of Rotterdam to boost shore power for stationary inland vessels. Addressing power shortfalls, the battery supported shore power cabinets, successfully delivering up to 63A without tripping fuses, benefiting both vessels and residents. This solution also enabled supplying power to larger ships, aligning with sustainability goals and showcasing potential expansion across the city center.

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Wärtsilä 54 MW Power Barge

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Battery Recycling, made by Northvolt

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EV Battery Prices Plunge 89% in Ten Years

The price of a lithium-ion battery pack used to power an electric vehicle has plunged 89% in the last decade, from $1,100 per kWh to $137 per kWh. Marine batteries still cost significantly more, ranging between $800-$1,000 per kWh for retrofits to $500 per kWh for newbuilds. DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% by 2025.

Webinar - Kongsberg Hybrid Solutions

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The Big Friendly Hybrid Giant

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Batteries that charge up to 80% in 15 Minutes

Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape is building a solid-state lithium metal battery for electric vehicles that it says should allow a car to charge to 80% of its full capacity in 15 minutes.

Hurtigruten’s New Hybrid Ships

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Tesla’s Battery Day from a Maritime Perspective

Using Tesla’s announcements of Battery Day, DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% (measured in $/kWh) by 2025. Worldwide, DNV predicts that passenger electric vehicles are likely to start outselling their internal combustion engine counterparts from 2032 onwards. In North America, Europe and China this will take place well before 2030. Tesla’s success could spill over from land-based vehicles into adjacent transport sectors. On the assumption of success on all fronts, Tesla will achieve the critical battery density for short range electric airplanes – namely 400 Wh/kg with high cycle life.

What are Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries?

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This blog sketches a vision on how to convert the largest crane vessel in the world - Sleipnir - owned by Heerema Marine Contractors, to a zero-emission vessel. Several promising carbon reduction measures are combined which are technically viable and based on matured technology including electrification and BES, solar panels, synthetic fuels, CCS and possibly hydrogen combustion.

Ørsted and Maersk to Test Offshore Vessel Charger

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The Trouble with Cobalt by Joe Scott

Electric cars have a dark secret - cobalt. The element that is in almost all lithium-ion batteries is often considered a conflict mineral because half of all cobalt reserves are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a troubled region with over a century of instability. But is it as bad as the anti-EV crowd has led us to believe? What's the reality of the situation, and what are some of the solutions?

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How the North Sea Giant saves two million liters of diesel every year

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LFP Battery Fire Hazard by FM Global

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Transocean Spitsbergen goes Hybrid

In April 2019, the Transocean Spitsbergen successfully and sagely installed an electric Energy Storage System (ESS) of 5.6 [MW] on-board. This allowed the semi-submersible drillship to run in hybrid mode during DP3, reducing fuel consumption by about 15%. Economic incentives were provided in the fuel-clause and by the Norwegian NOx Fund.

The North Sea Giant - Mighty Ships

The North Sea Giant on Mighty Ships!

World’s ‘first’ autonomous, zero emission container ship

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Vincent Doedee

How to decarbonize your ship - battery hybrid + varying engine load

Determine the impact of your operational profile and engine load on a business case for a battery hybrid

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