We found a post by Daphne Leprince-Ringuet in Wired intriguing. She thinks ‘the next frontier for batteries is helping to power massive ships’. We believe this would be a vast improvement over diesel-guzzling ones. That’s because international maritime shipping contributes 2.1% of greenhouse gas emissions according to World Shipping Council. But would large battery powered ships be feasible?
Large Battery Powered Ships Will Take a While Still
Until quite recently we only imagined batteries providing energy for lights and auxiliary systems. According to Leprince-Ringuet engineers are testing a new hybrid on a tug moored at Luleå, on the north coast of Sweden. We were not previously aware this port is home to one of Sweden’s three technology universities.
There, engineers are about to take a small but significant step towards large battery powered ships with a revolutionary idea. This will be a ‘second generation hybrid’ according to Giulio Tirelli, director at Wärtsila Italy helping develop the technology. “This is a hybrid,” he explains “where you integrate the battery in the engineering and production of the engine.”
Therefore the Batteries Will Be More Than Add-Ons
“The batteries are no longer be an add-on. They are built together with the engine to optimize power production,” according to Giulio Tirelli. Furthermore an energy management system will balance the mechanical and battery power to select the optimum load.
Diesel-powered ships battle in rough seas in international waters, to compensate for wave movements because their motors take time to respond. Faster-acting batteries will compensate for these ‘load fluctuations’ allowing the motors to work steadily. Leprince-Ringuet sees great potential for “fewer maintenance checks, fewer emissions, and stable fuel consumption”.
Moreover, Giulio Tirelli expects to see operating costs fall by 25% depending on vessel type. We hope to see reduced greenhouse gas emissions too, because the diesel motors should not have to work as hard. Large battery powered ships may still be on the horizon, but at least we are making progress.
Related
Rolls-Royce Starting to Build Marine Batteries
Marine Lithium Batteries: EU Update 1
Preview Image: Diesel Battery Hybrid Tug (Image Wärtsila)
