This year's exhibition hosted the fifth Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards, a ceremony that honours the world's finest engineers, innovations and products in the electric and hybrid marine arena.
With a judging panel that boasts some of the world’s leading marine journalists, industry experts and academics, the Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards are among the most sought-after accolades within the marine industry.
Supplier
Winner: Corvus Energy
Winning this category for a fourth consecutive year, and representing its fifth Electric & Hybrid Marine Award overall, Corvus Energy continues to be the company to beat. In 2017, it posted a 263% revenue increase and expanded its employee headcount to 105, with staff based in Vancouver, Canada, and at a brand-new facility in Bergen, Norway. The last 12 months have also seen the Canadian company win 15 new contracts for the supply and sale of its Orca Energy ESS, the most notable of which will see Corvus provide battery power to the first four hybrid platform supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, other key achievements made by Corvus in the last year include securing US$5m in financing from Export Development Canada to grow its international business; and finalizing a major shareholder investment with Norsk Hydro, one of the world’s largest aluminum companies, acquiring a 25.9% stake in Corvus Energy.
Also shortlisted:
Leclanché
Kraeutler Elektromaschinen
Cavotec
Lithium Werks
Aspin Kemp & Associates
Transfluid
Super B
EST-Floattech
Propulsion System Manufacturer
Winner: Wärtsilä
The winner of this category for a second time, technology group Wärtsilä enjoyed a positive 12 months, recording a 3% increase in net sales and registering more than 1,000 contracts for new vessels. What’s more, the company’s order intake for 2017 increased by 15% to US$6.6m. 2017 also saw Wärtsilä launch its HY hybrid power module, which combines engines, energy storage and power electronics through a newly developed energy management system. Furthermore, it launched the WärtsiläHYTug, a new hybrid tug design for the Chinese market that provides lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and improved vessel performance; and successfully tested its automatic wireless induction charging system on a hybrid powered coastal ferry, owned by Norled, one of Norway’s largest ferry operators.
Also shortlisted:
Norwegian Electric System
The Switch
ABB
Torqeedo
Siemens
Innovation
Winner: BlueIsles Solar Microgrid Dock by PowerDocks
Launched in 2017, the BlueIsles Solar Microgrid Dock is a first-of-its-kind floating charging platform outfitted with walkable non-skid photovoltaic solar modules, energy storage and power distribution able to provide free and renewable electrical power to boaters in remote locations away from marinas. Developed by American company PowerDocks LLC, this innovation stores the energy it absorbs from the sun while it’s floating. To get power, boaters either moor or dock at the platform and then connect their own cables to a power pedestal on the platform. Energy can also be transferred via a wireless connection, with a full charge requiring between two and four hours, depending on the size of the boat's electrical system. Furthermore, the aquatic microgrid, which was first installed in Newport Habor on Rhode Island in July 2017, is completely customizable in size, materials, energy generation and storage configurations. Providing WiFi up to a range of 90m, boaters using Blue Isles can also download a smartphone app that controls charging, monitors electricity usage and shows the temperature of batteries on the platform.
Also shortlisted:
DC-Hub power distribution system by The Switch
Multi Engine Optimizer by Caterpillar
Power Dock charging station by The Fjords / Brødrene Aa
Universal High Power DC-Breaker by Astrol Electronic AG and KWx B.V.
R2DB Power & Combustion Analyser by Dewesoft
Onboard activity based fuel consumption measurement software by Kotug International
ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision 3D situational awareness tool by ABB
Variable Speed Shaft Generator by WE Tech Solutions
100kW electric motor by Fischer Panda
Engineering Team of the Year
Winner: Electronic Bus Link breaker development team, The Switch
The first recipient of this brand-new award is a five-person team led by The Switch’s general manager Asbjørn Halsebakke and including Terje Rogne, chief engineer – power electronics; Pål Andreassen, senior R&D engineer – power electronics; William Gullvik, senior R&D engineer – motor software, and Øyvin Eikeland, senior design engineer – firmware. Nominated for successfully testing and developing the company’s first three Electronic Bus Link breaker units within just six months, the team faced an extremely tight turnaround, from September 2017 to March 2018, to ensure the product, which connects a vessel’s DC-Hub and diesel engines to ensure efficient ongoing operation, passed a critical factory acceptance test ahead of its delivery on an advanced offshore vessel. And thanks to the team’s collective efforts, which saw them work all hours in close cooperation with The Switch’s sourcing department in Finland, and its assembly and engineering in Stord, Norway, the product has now moved to the next development step ahead of market release: full load testing on board the vessel.
Also shortlisted:
BB Green battery system development team, Echandia Marine
Elektra project team, FinFerries
Passive cell-level thermal runaway isolation development team, Corvus Energy
Deep Blue engineering team, Torqeedo
R2DB Power & Combustion Analyser development team, Dewesoft
Electric & Hybrid Propulsion System
Winner: Elektra diesel-electric roll-on roll-off passenger/car ferry by FinFerries
Finland’s first hybrid ferry, the US$24.5m Elektra features an innovative diesel-electric propulsion system that has been providing improved transportation on the mile-long, eight-minute crossing between Nagu and Pargas in the Turku archipelago since June 2017. Comprising two 530kWh PBES lithium-ion batteries; Stamford generators; three 420kWe Scania diesel engines; two 900kW BlueDrive Plus C electric motors from Siemens; two 900kW Z-drive azimuthing thrusters from Rolls-Royce Marine; and rows of photovoltaic solar cells supplied by Activesol, Elektra’s propulsive technology has enabled huge fuel cost savings for operator FinFerries, with each crossing using around 100kWh of energy, equivalent to just US$6 of electricity. What’s more, Elektra’s batteries are charged direct from the grid by Cavotec’s MoorMaster automatic mooring system, with each charge taking no longer than five minutes.
Also shortlisted:
All-electric inland passenger barge by the city of San Antonio
SoelCat 12 solar-electric catamaran by Soel Yachts
All-electric inland cargo ship by Guangzhou Shipyard International
Future of the Fjords all-electric catamaran by The Fjords
Diesel-electric research catamaran by the City University of New York’s Brooklyn College
Dynamiq GTT 115 Hybrid diesel-electric superyacht by Dynamiq
Energy Observer hydrogen-powered catamaran by Energy Observer
Ultralight 403 C electric outboard by Torqeedo
Advanced Variable Drive by Caterpillar
HY hybrid power module by Wärtsilä
Integrated L-Drive by Veth Propulsion
| Michel Gonlag | Owner, De Binnenvaartkrant |  |
| Richard Halfhide | Editor, The Naval Architect / Marine Power & Propulsion |  |
| John O’Malley | Founder, Marine Link |  |
| Przemek Myszka | Editor-in-chief, Baltic Press and Harbours Review |  |
| Jack O’Connell | Senior editor, The Maritime Executive | |
| Martyn Lasek | Editor, Ship & Bunker |  |
| Simon Enticknap | Editor, Marine Business |  |
| John Snyder | Editor-in-chief and publisher, Marine Log | |
| Krischan Förster | Chief editor, Hansa International Maritime Journal |  |
| Glen Watson | Editor-in-chief, Asia-Pacific Boating |  |
| Rich Miller | Managing editor, Professional Mariner and American Ship Review | |
| Douglas R. Kelly | Editor, Marine Technology, The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers | |
| Narve Mjøs | Director of battery services and projects, DNV GL’s Maritime Advisory |  |
| Roald Evensen | Journalist, Maritimt Magasin | |
| Fulya Tekin | Editor-in-chief, SeaNews Turkey |  |
| Williem de Jong | Senior editor, SWZ Maritime | |
| Martin Uhlenfeldt | Chief editor, Maritime Denmark |  |
| David Conn | Journalist, Western Mariner | |
| Neil Baird | Founder, Ausmarine and Work Boat World | |
| Leo Ryan | Editor, Maritime Magazine | |
| Sam Chambers | Editorial director, Asia Shipping Media |  |
| Stevie Knight | Maritime journalist, The Motorship, Breakbulk, Port Strategy, Boating Business, Maritime Journal, GreenPort | |
| Viktor Efimove | Editor-in-chief, Maritime Market |  |
| Steve Chalmers | Editor, Boat Owner Middle East |  |
| Chris Phillips | Managing editor, Pacific Maritime | |
| Tim Thomas | Technical editor, The Superyacht Group | |
| Mike Grinter | Editor, Asia Maritime | |
| Victor Billet | Editor, Maritimes magazine |  |
| Michael Starling | Editor, Maritime & Ports Middle East | |
| Gavin Lipsith | Editor, The Motorship | |
| Jake Frith | Editor, Maritime Journal | |
| Charles van den Oosterkamp | CEO, Yellow & Finch Publishers | |
| Felicity Landon | Freelance journalist, Seatrade Global, Maritime Executive, Port Strategy, Lloyd’s List | |
| Noboru Ueda | Former chairman and president, ClassNK |  |
| Dr George Papalambrou | Lecturer, school of naval architecture and marine engineering, National Technical University of Athens |  |
| Org Nieuwoudt | Director, Raubicon Engineers |  |
| Marilyn Mower | Books editor, Boat International | |
| Ladd Borne | Editor-in-chief, Ocean News & Technology | |
| Jonathan Lee | Editor, Boating Business | |
Supplier of the Year
The jury was asked to vote for the company that they felt had contributed the most to the industry over the last 12 months. Suppliers were judged not only on product innovation, but also profitability and commercial success, such as identifying and establishing new manufacturing and R&D centres and winning new business.
Engineering Team of the Year
The jury was asked to vote for a team that has made the single largest contribution to advancing electric and hybrid marine propulsion technology over the last 12 months.
Innovation of the Year
The jury was asked to vote solely for the pioneering technology or technical innovation that they felt pushed the boundaries and contributed in some way to making electric and hybrid propulsion possible and viable.
Propulsion System Manufacturer of the Year
The jury was asked to vote for the company that they felt had contributed the most to the industry over the last 12 months. Manufacturers were judged not only on product innovation, but also profitability and commercial success, such as identifying and establishing new manufacturing and R&D centres and winning new business.
Electric & Hybrid Propulsion System of the Year
The jury was asked to vote for the best complete electric and hybrid propulsion system released within the last 12 months that makes a contribution to cleaner, more efficient marine propulsion. Other criteria included ingenuity and scale of financial investment.
