Torstein I. Bø and Dag Stenersen attended the Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo, where they met up with several of the SFI partners. One of the major trends was battery, with multiple proposals for new hybrid solutions, including batteries and some experiences from the use of it.
Some highlights:
• ABB and HH Ferries Group announced the conversion of two ferries to fully battery powered operation. This will be the vessels with the largest battery packs of 4.2 MWh.
• The Seasight sightseeing ferry was presented, which will use diesel engines for the high-speed transportation and batteries during sightseeing.
• Multiple different project (PSV, tugs, passenger ferries) claims that using batteries in addition to diesel generator set gives a return of investment time of 4-10 years.
Overall, this is a conference where many of the trendsetters of marine electric propulsion systems attend. Next year conference should therefore be prioritized and SFI Smart Maritime should be present.