Batteries and hybrid propulsion systems will be increasingly adopted in Europe for a range of vessels, delegates heard at Riviera Maritime Media’s Advancing the European transition to hybrid and electric vessels webinar
This event was held 17 February 2022 during Riviera’s Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Webinar Week in association with Turkish shipbuilder and owner Uzmar, sponsored by Corvus Energy and supported by BAE Systems.
On the panel were Maritime Battery Forum managing director Syb Ten Cate Hoedemaker, CWind head of fleet Lea Hurst, Spear Power Systems senior project manager Shaun White and Corvus Energy chief commercial officer Halvard Hauso.
They discussed the latest developments for hybrid and all-electric systems in Europe.
Mr Hoedemaker discussed the market for energy storage systems (ESS) for vessels operating in inland waterways. He said there had been an average growth rate in battery installations on vessels operating in Europe of 36%.
“In the last 10-11 years, Europe has represented about 65% of the battery-powered global fleet,” said Mr Hoedemaker.
There are more than 550 vessels with batteries installed worldwide according to classification society DNV and according to the Maritime Battery Forum, almost 250 battery-powered vessels operate in Europe.
Most of the electrically powered vessels are passenger ships, with around 140 operating in Europe, followed by over 40 offshore support vessels, 20 fishing vessels, and around 10 cargo ships.
Mr Hoedemaker said the average size of batteries being installed was 1,600 kWh per ship, compared with 500 kWh in 2016. “This will keep growing,” he said. “The total installed capacity has increased globally on average by 45% between 2011 and 2021.”
Maritime Battery Forum forecasts the number of vessels worldwide with batteries installed will increase by 36% annually to more than 1,500 in 2025, and almost 6,000 by 2030 if carbon-limiting regulations are implemented as anticipated.
For Europe, the forum forecasts there will be nearly 900 by 2025 and around 4,000 in 2030. This will raise total installed battery capacity by 45% to 12 GWh in 2030. On average, vessels will require 2 MWh energy storage capacity.
“In Europe, demand for batteries is going to increase significantly,” said Mr Hoedemaker. “Upcoming regulations will push for more zero-emissions ships. Adoption of future fuels will require batteries for hybrid systems.”
Attendees of the webinar were asked several poll questions. In one of these, they were asked how much of the world’s fleet would be hybrid or electric vessels in 2030. 62% of those responding said quarter of the world’s fleet, another 32% voted for 25-50% and 6% thought it would be half of the fleet.
They were then asked if the current cost increase for battery cells would go back to normal again within 2022. 72% voted no and 28% said yes.
In another poll, delegates were asked how much of the world’s fleet will have some kind of battery on board for energy optimisation in 2030. Half of those responding thought it would be 25%, another 33% said 25-50% and 17% voted for half of the global fleet.
They were also asked what they thought the annual growth rate for the number of battery-powered vessels would be in the coming decade. In reply, 32% voted for a growth rate of 27%, but 30% said it would be less than 27%, then 21% of voters thought it would be 36% and 17% voted for more than 36%.
Mr Hurst explained how batteries and hybrid solutions improve operations and reduce emissions from crew transfer vessels (CTVs). He said these systems help CWind meet the future requirements for CTVs, such as reducing emissions, providing technician transfers in sea states of more than 1.8 m, lowering fuel consumption and costs, and increasing the range and the speed of CTVs to more than 25 knots.
Mr Hurst said the average cost of building a new CTV is US$4M, but including hybrid/electric technologies can add another US$500,000 to US$1M. But the benefits are “lower fuel consumption, increased range, reduced emissions, higher day rates and longer contract periods”.
To encourage investment in battery-powered CTVs, operators “need collaboration from all stakeholders” including offshore windfarm operators, ports and authorities. “We need suitable contracts and sufficient shore power from charging-ready sites,” said Mr Hurst.
He provides CWind Pioneer as a prime example, as the world’s first hybrid-powered CTV. It has reduced fuel consumption and emissions compared with a conventional design. This 2021-built vessel is used on the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore windfarm in the Netherlands, on long-term charter with Ørsted.
The hybrid diesel and battery-electric power system enables CWind Pioneer to operate purely on battery power while in harbour and on standby in a windfarm, “resulting in a significant reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions,” said Mr Hurst.
The hybrid propulsion system also delivers a high sprint speed with its 1,600-kW diesel engines battery-boosted up to 1,800 kW. The battery pack was supplied by Corvus Energy and the electric motors that drive it by Danfoss.
“CWind Pioneer operates up to 43 knots and is 20% more fuel efficient than traditional CTVs,” said Mr Hurst.
There are limitations to the capacity, size and weight of batteries that can be installed on CTVs. But they could provide more of the daily power requirements, depending on the operational profile of the vessel.
“Batteries are efficient for providing hotel loads and enabling engines to be used at optimum speeds,” he said.
When a CTV is waiting in port or in the offshore windfarm, batteries can be used instead of engines. They can also be used to extend the range of CTVs or the speed, if that is important to the client.
Key challenges going forward are providing charging facilities in port and at the windfarm, providing training for crew, changing management systems and implementing vessel optimisation.
Mr White described the Current Direct project which has European Union Horizon 2020 funding. This will study the suitability of batteries for inland waterway vessels.
This project aims to “create and reduce the cost of batteries for inland waterways, with swappable containerised batteries connected to an energy-as-a-service platform,” said Mr White.
“This will significantly reduce the total lifetime cost of waterborne transport batteries and cut greenhouse gas emissions of the marine transport sector,” said Mr White.
Part of the project is to increase the installed energy of containerised ESS and trigger investments in these, so it becomes a commercial solution.
A standard 20-ft container with 1 MW of power has total installed energy of 3 MWh, “sufficient for zero emissions for tens of hours and hundreds of kilometres of voyages”.
Mr White provided a study case involving Elisa S inland waterways tanker. This ship could be powered by containerised ESS for a return voyage between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. It would require 2 MW-2.2 MW of power for the upstream voyage and 700 kW for the downstream.
“It would need 28 MW of energy for the round trip, from 10 containers on the journey,” said Mr White.
If recharged containers are loaded at the terminals, there would need to be two additional charge stations along the route. It would take 29 hours for the return journey with 6 tonnes of fuel and 19 tonnes of CO2 saved per voyage.
Current Direct has calculated “indicative energy needs of inland waterway vessels for swappable containers and swapping operations,” said Mr White.
“This is a transition to a zero-emissions solution based on swappable battery container technology. It is a good carbon-neutral solution for fleets.”
Mr Hauso provided an overview of the latest developments in battery technology, with the largest ESS installed being 10 MWh on a Aida cruise ship.
The largest ESS on order for a tugboat is the 6.2-MWh battery required for Crowley’s eWolf, which is under construction in the US.
Mr Hauso said batteries have become mainstream components for low-emissions vessels. “The time for pilot projects is over,” he said. “Hydrogen fuel cells are just behind batteries,” he said.
Batteries are installed on offshore support vessels, ferries, cruise ships, tankers, offshore drilling rigs and vessels supporting offshore windfarm projects. Each has different dimensions, weight, power storage, output and recharging requirements. “There is no one-size-fits-all,” said Mr Hauso. “Different products will continue to be needed if vessels are decarbonising.”
He provided a case study involving Aida Prima cruise ship. This ship uses batteries going into port, charges them at dock, while the hotel load is from shore power, and then uses batteries as it sails out of port.
“ESS has become standard on almost every vessel type,” said Mr Hauso. “All shipowners are looking at decarbonising their fleets. ESS is part of all future fuel solutions.”
He expects the global market value for batteries and fuel cells to jump from US$100M in 2021 to US$1.5Bn in 2025, based mostly on newbuildings, but with some retrofits and repowering projects. It could be almost US$6Bn-10Bn in 2030.
“We believe there is a stronger growth rate of 50%, because of upcoming regulation requirements around the world,” said Mr Hauso.
Attendees were asked what the average installed capacity per vessel would be in 2030. 34% said it would be 2 MWh per vessel, 27% 3 MWh per vessel, 20% voted for less than 2 MWh per vessel and 19% for more than 3 MWh per vessel.
In another question, they were asked what the adoption rate would be in 2030 for hydrogen fuel cells in Europe related to shortsea shipping. 52% thought a quarter of shortsea ships and 32% said between 25-50%, while 7% voted for 50% and 9% of delegates thought it would be none.
Attendees were also asked about their knowledge of maritime battery systems and whether they were keeping up with current developments. Just 11% said they had everything figured out when it came to maritime batteries and 4% said they did not need knowledge because they let external parties advise them.
50% of those responding said they wanted more training and courses to increase their knowledge of maritime battery systems and 35% thought they almost had sufficient knowledge, but it was a lot of work to keep up with developments.
On the Advancing the European transition to hybrid and electric vessels webinar panel were (left to right) Spear Power Systems senior project manager Shaun White, CWind head of fleet Lea Hurst, Maritime Battery Forum managing director Syb Ten Cate Hoedemaker and Corvus Energy chief commercial officer Halvard Hauso
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.