Rolls-Royce launches its own battery system

Rolls-Royce is launching a lithium-ion based energy storage system for use in a variety of marine applications including container ships.

Rolls-Royce began offering battery systems for vessels in 2010, but they were all developed by third parties until the company's partnership with Color Line and Norled.

In total, three ship-owning companies – Color Line, Norled and the Norwegian Coastal Administration Shipping Company, partnered with Rolls-Royce in the battery system's development, “ensuring that the energy storage system covers a wide variety of marine applications”, according to a statement from Rolls Royce.

Rolls-Royce described its new SAVe Energy product as a modular, liquid-cooled battery system that can be scaled according to a vessel’s energy and power requirements, noting SAVe Energy complies with international legislation for low- and zero-emission propulsion systems.

Rolls-Royce said SAVe Energy can be applied to supply and supplement power during several engine operating sequences, including peak shaving and spinning reserve, and can be coupled with most types of propulsion units. In a hybrid set up, SAVe Energy handles the peak load, while the main power generators relate to the average load, allowing the propulsion units to maintain thrusting capabilities.   

“The electrification of ships is building momentum," said Rolls-Royce executive vice president Andreas Seth. "From 2010, we have delivered battery systems representing about 15 MWh in total. However, now the potential deployment of our ... SAVe Energy in 2019 alone is 10-18 MWh.”

Mr Seth said battery systems have become a 'key component' of  power and propulsions systems at Rolls-Royce and that the company will add its new battery system to several ongoing projects. These include the upgrade programme for Hurtigruten’s cruise ferries, the advanced fishing vessel recently ordered by Prestfjord and ongoing retrofits of offshore support vessels. 

SAVe Energy is an ESU system (Energy Storage Unit), and was recently class approved by DNV GL. It will be delivered from the Rolls-Royce Power Electric site in Bergen, Norway. Rolls-Royce said that development work on the battery system was partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council’s Energix programme.