Welcome efficiency. Welcome electric.
Maritime transport emits more than 900 million tons of CO2 annually and is responsible for approximately 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification is the way forward for short sea and inland shipping in harbors, rivers, and fjords. In transitioning vessels from diesel to pure electric power, powerful onshore support is essential, in the form of reliable infrastructure for rapid charging capacity and stable grid supply.
Recharging land and sea
Electric vessels will be the preferred transport of tomorrow. To meet the demands this will put on charging solutions, fast charging needs to become economically viable and available on a mass scale. That way we can start to power a sustainable future.
Multi-MW charging for reliably fast turnaround
Most of us are familiar with electric vehicle charging, and the same principles apply to fast vessel charging in the maritime industry, only on a larger scale. Fast charging is especially relevant for fully electric vessels, which are typically used in short-haul passenger ferries and cargo vessels such as the electric ferry “Suloey". Despite their small scale compared to huge container or cruise ships, the power needed to rapidly charge ferries is in the multi-MW range. For successful ferry electrification, it’s therefore critical to master both grid performance and the charging process.
Our approach
Related products
The iC7-Hybrid power converter is your ticket to join the energy transition. Tap into energy savings with hybrid and pure electric solutions in marine power conversions. Enhance smart grid applications such as energy storage, shore supply, charging and electrolysis.
Learn more about iC7-Hybrid
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Cases
Future of the Fjords represents a new standard of environmentally responsible fjord tourism, as the first fully electric carbon fiber vessel in the world.
The Hareid-Sulesund ferry operator has reduced CO2 emissions by 7000 tonnes annually with the introduction of electric vessels.
Every year, the first fully commercial electric ferry in Denmark shuttles 1.8 million passengers across a 4 km strait. The future holds big potential to operate shorter routes using electric ferries.
On Amsterdam’s IJ River, hybrid ferries powered by VACON® drives enjoy 24/7 uptime, smaller generator size, improved air quality, less noise and easy maneuverability.
As the first in Denmark, the ferry’s electric equipment now runs primarily on battery power, connecting to a shore power supply to recharge batteries between trips. The 2016 conversion from pure diesel to hybrid operation has reduced diesel consumption by 20,000 l annually – from 90,000 l to 70,000 l.
To protect the pristine environment during tours, the Krka National Park commissioned two hybrid e-vessels designed for a capacity of 50 passengers each. The vessels are equipped with both solar PV panels and battery storage. When the sun shines, solar cells supply power to the propulsion. When the sun disappears, the propulsion runs on battery power.
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Meeting the challenges
We are constantly overcoming new challenges to optimize performance and efficiency in marine electrification. Our maritime engineers are at the forefront of DC grid implementation, and know how to extract the extra energy saving benefits of combining DC grid, energy storage and/or variable speed generators. And the challenges? For instance, we have figured out how to provide the more sophisticated protection specially required for DC grids, supporting stable fast charging of vessels.
Discover more about DC grids
How does shore supply help ports meet emission targets? We can help retrofit vessels for shore supply compatibility.
Use different types of energy at the same time to bridge the gap between energy generation and consumption.
Reduce maritime emissions and boost performance with diverse marine and offshore solutions from Danfoss.
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