Maritime battery, fuel cell frontrunners to discuss advances in low- and zero-carbon technologies

Ship visit

Day one will conclude with a ship visit at the Port of Bergen. During the 2023 conference, delegates enjoyed a tour of LNG battery-hybrid cruise ship Havila Pollux. Designed with an energy-efficient hull, Havila Pollux has a large battery pack of 6.1 MWh, allowing it to operate emissions-free for up to four hours. This means the ship can visit the UNESCO World Heritage area of Geirangerfjorden silently and emissions free, years before the authorities’ requirement for emissions-free ferries and cruise ships in World Heritage fjords comes into effect.

The 640-passenger cruise ship’s propulsion is a hybrid solution, with a combination of the 86-tonne battery packs and liquefied natural gas providing the power. The battery packs can be charged while the ship is docked, using Norwegian renewable power.

Havila Pollux is also designed, built and prepared for emissions-free fuel alternatives such as hydrogen and ammonia. With current technology, a gradual addition of biogas will further reduce CO2 emissions.

While Havila Pollux began operating along the coastal route Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen in August 2023, it was named in a ceremony at the Port of Bergen by former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who served as the ship’s godmother.

Days two and three of the conference will drill down into maritime hybrid and electric propulsion applications. 30 October will open with a keynote address on green maritime policy, followed by four sessions detailing trends in battery design, chemistry and safety, projects using ammonia, hydrogen, methanol cells, as well as presentations on financial and investment hurdles.

The formal day’s agenda will close with an evening drinks reception. It will be followed by an exclusive, invitation-only VIP reception hosted by Corvus Energy.

The final day of the conference, 31 October, will examine new vessel design, conversions, shoreside charging infrastructure and presentations by vessel owners on hybrid-electric vessels.

Port of Bergen commercial manager, Nils Møllerup will present at the event on the port’s lessons learned in investing in new shore power systems, and how it envisions its role in further reducing fleet emissions.

Port of Bergen

Bergen makes for an ideal host city. FuelEU Maritime requires all container ships and large passenger vessels – including cruise ships – of 5,000 gt or more to connect to shore power when docking for at least two hours, starting 1 January 2030. This includes such ships docking in Norway. But the Port of Bergen is already well prepared to meet this regulatory challenge. It has Europe’s largest shore power facility, allowing three cruise ships to connect simultaneously. This year, the port has a goal for at least 50% of cruise ships to use shore power when they dock in the city. From 2026, the Port of Bergen expects all cruise ships to use electricity instead of diesel when docked.

Bergen also demonstrates some of the challenges port authorities face in meeting the shore power requirements of a wide range of vessels. It has offshore/low voltage systems, cruise/high voltage systems, plug-in connections for smaller vessels, special connections for Hurtigruten/Coastal Express ships, and plans for future shore power connections for superyachts, cargo, roro and supply vessels.

Sponsors

Global leaders in the fields of maritime electrification and fuel-cell technology are supporting the event. Gold sponsors for the conference include ComAp, Corvus Energy, DNV, MedMarine, Nedstack, The Switch, Uzmar and Wärtsilä.

Supporting organisations include Invest in Bergen and Maritime Battery Forum.

For more details or to register for Maritime Hybrid, Electric and Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference, 29-31 October 2024, Bergen, Norway, please visit our conference programme page