Battery Container Ships At Sea

We came across an article by Anthony Wiskish on Tech Explore, that was so thought-provoking we decided to curate it. His topic is an innovative way to electrify commercial shipping, by using battery container ships.

This solution may not be the cheapest way to deliver marine cargo, although it does use less cargo space. As global warming bites deeper, cost may no longer be the sole deciding factor.

Why Do We Need Battery Container Ships?

Global shipping enables 90% of world trade, but causes 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. On average, a voyage can last for two weeks, or longer. There is insufficient room on board for batteries to power this distance, unless we sacrifice large areas of cargo space.

There has, however, been some progress with electric ferries in some quarters. This has proven the point that electric marine power is practical and feasible, albeit over modest distances.

The challenge has been how to scale this up. The options appear to be as follows:

Use onboard batteries of a manageable size. Recharge these batteries at sea using solar energy,
Use onboard batteries of a manageable size. Recharge these batteries at ports along the way.
Deploy dedicated battery container ships, that support electric vessels as they cross the ocean.

How This Dedicated Support Service Might Work

Marine electrification is not an all-or-none affair. Cargo vessels come in different sizes. Their trips vary in length and destination. One size does not have to fit all. In fact, it seldom does.

Anthony Wiskish visualizes a radical world where the marine energy solution meets needs. In terms of this, hybrid ships would switch from diesel to battery power depending on circumstances.

Alternatively, and this is where the story gets interesting, dedicated battery container ships would meet all-electric cargo vessels out in the deep ocean. They could travel alongside them in off-ship mode, and provide top-up battery power.

Alternatively they could use their stored energy in on-ship mode, and quickly recharge the cargo ship’s batteries. Anthony Wiskish is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis at Australian National University.