Advantages of Battery Hybrid Systems on Board Ships

Battery hybrid ships are believed to be an alternative energy system mix for the shipping of tomorrow. Recent results of a joint DNV and Grieg Star hybrid ship crane project show less than a year’s payback time and fuel savings of 30 % – and that you should get your battery on board sooner rather than later.

With rising fuel prices and impending environmental regulations, the pressure is on for more efficient and environmentally friendly ships. In the joint industry project ‘Low Carbon Shipping’, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, several partners in the Norwegian maritime sector have come together to innovate for green shipping. The most recent project results were presented yesterday at a press conference in Bergen and called attention to the advantages of battery hybrid systems on board ships. DNV Research & Innovation, DNV’s strategic research arm, and Norwegian ship owner Grieg Star have reached their conclusions with optimism and vigour.

“Hybrid ships are similar to the better known hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, but have greater advantages. The payback time on additional investments is much less than the 10 years expected for a car,” says Eirik Ovrum, a researcher in DNV Research & Innovation. “In our project, we have concluded that the payback time is less than a year and that fuel consumption will be reduced by nearly one third.”

DNV has worked on hybrid ships and batteries for several years and is starting to see breakthrough results. In the recent collaboration with Grieg Star, the partners set out to simulate crane operations on one of Grieg Star’s open hatch vessels. The DNV simulation tool COSSMOS was used to model a conventional and a battery hybrid power production system on board the vessel. The simulation included four cranes using a conventional system of diesel generator sets to produce electric power while the hybrid system had a lithium-ion battery installed. The invaluable combination of the ship owner’s knowledge and the detailed simulation of the second-by-second ship operations yielded accurate results. The battery hybrid ship used 30 % less fuel, made annual savings of USD 110,000 and had less than a year’s payback time. The benefits far exceed the costs associated with it, and support the continuous trend towards the greater use of electricity and batteries on board ships.

New rules, tools and advisory services for battery-powered ships have already been developed by DNV. The Norwegian authorities are also taking an active role, as they did when gas was being developed as an alternative fuel, and are pushing the maritime industry by setting strict requirements to reduce emissions, as well as by offering incentives. Yards, owners, the supply industry and R&D institutions are all eager and preparing for the future.

“The uplifting results show that bringing batteries on board ships is not only a viable business operation, it is also good housekeeping. By reducing both energy consumption and emissions, we create a win-win situation for ship owners and the environment, an essential element of a sustainable business future,” says Jan Øivind Svardal, Vice President Newbuildings & Projects in Grieg Star.

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Press Release, April 10, 2013