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Partners aim to electrify two LNG-powered ropax ferries
The Swedish Energy Agency is throwing financial support behind an effort to incorporate batteries into two Destination Gotland LNG-powered ferries
The project will kick off immediately and work until the end of 2022 to analyse how the support systems on the LNG-powered ferries that operate the Visby ferry route can be electrified.
“Electrifying large fast ships is a great challenge in itself due to the very large capacity requirements,” said Helios project manager Magnus Rahm. “But in this case, we are also dealing with the heavily constrained grid on Gotland. We’re now putting all hands on deck to assist Gotland Tech Development to see how our utility scale solar parks and batteries combined can loosen the biggest knots on the transmission lines and contribute in the best way possible,” he added.
The project involves retrofitting Destination Gotland’s 1,650-passenger ropax ferries Visborg and Gotland, which also blend biogas with their fossil LNG to lower emissions.
The electrification effort is being undertaken by Helios Nordic Energy together with partners Gotland Tech Development, a subsidiary of shipping company Rederi AB Gotland, METS Technology AB and ABB AB.
The partners applied for funding for the project through the Energy Pilot Gotland programme in August.
The onboard ferry generators could be replaced by rechargeable batteries to convert the ferries into plug-in hybrids. The increased penetration of electric cars will also require charging during transit. This requires additional battery capacity and will also be included in the study.
“An important step towards both fossil- and emission-free maritime transport is to start electrifying parts of the existing ferries’ energy systems,” said Gotland Tech project manager Christer Bruzelius.
Helios’ role in the project will be to investigate where battery storage facilities are best located. Helios will also work on sizing of the systems, how they are controlled, and how to maximise investment synergy effects with solar farms under development. The ship traffic increases drastically during the summer when solar parks produce significant amounts of electricity. The project will aim to decrease the ferries’ carbon emissions by 10% through the electrification of support systems and use of solar energy.
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