Battery-powered vessels have recently entered the shipping business in applications with short ferry crossings or hybrid installations. Continuous rapid development of battery performance and cost, along with its inherently superior well-to-wake efficiency, begs the question as to what needs to happen with battery cost and performance to make them viable for deep sea shipping. This presentation will offer a study that tries to address these questions by identifying barriers, gaps and required development; operational issues and relevant vessels; charging infrastructure and potential WTW impact of battery-powered vessels.

This presentation will unpick the questions which arise about the drivers of technological progress towards decarbonisation in the marine sector. Are they pulled along by demand from ship owners or pushed forward by equipment manufacturers? What are the implications of either approach? Which would be best and should either do more of the same, less or something entirely different? Elias Boletis is uniquely placed to provide insight into these questions. He is responsible for the CIMAC Working Group 10 ‘End Users’. These are primarily ship owners and provides a link between the ship owners and the equipment manufacturers for the marine sector.

Modern ship powertrain designs are integrating shaft generators, fuel cells, and batteries to enhance energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. However, due to the diversity of vessel characteristics, a universally best-performing design is not conceivable. Instead, different technologies, each with their unique efficiency characteristics and operational limitations, are favored, also necessitating tailored system control strategies. Lukas Kistner introduces an early-stage modular energy management approach aimed at operational efficiency and flexibility, which can be used for model-based system design optimization tasks.

The variety of ships using batteries keeps growing, as does the number of maritime battery suppliers, battery technologies and chemistries. The development of several types of maritime battery systems, for diverse types of applications, improved battery performance and lower battery prices present challenges that must be properly identified, understood, and mitigated. As an industry leader in maritime battery projects for newbuild and refit, Foreship will provide a uniquely independent perspective of the design process, whole ship integration challenges, opportunities, and requirements for systems across a range of ship types, applications, and technologies.

This presentation will share the experience from integrating a fuel cell – designed originally for trucks – with batteries in an aquaculture service vessel built by Moen Marin. It is the first time that a high-effect fuel cell has been fully integrated with a large liquid-cooled MNC battery system for the aquaculture sector. The project is part of the Norwegian Pilot E program. We will also describe how the project is integrated into an operational infrastructure concept, accessing FC hydrogen but also electricity through ZEM's compact powerbank charging containers with 550-800kWh battery capacity.

A maritime consortium dedicated to 'methanol as an energy step toward zero-emission', is prioritizing comprehensive research on a full DC grid development. The innovative system employs a model-based engineering approach, emphasizing requirement traceability to seamlessly integrate future components. Focusing on a yacht use case, the implementation of a decentralized DC propulsion switchboard promises significant reductions in weight and energy loss. Incorporating a secondary DC grid is equally essential for maximizing efficiency, volume and weight.

Shipowners need cleaner, smarter fleets to be competitive. Their ship systems need to have clear advantages through emerging technology for situational awareness; be flexible for lifecycle technology insertion; be efficient, available and sustainable; manage costs and risks through sensing, automation and controls; be able to operate with less or no human intervention; and enable communication. This presentation will look at enabling lifecycle performance through the ship’s electric grid and will show how electrification enables the efficiency and connectivity of systems in vessel networks, the electric network trends in hosting more sustainable solutions and enhanced automation over life and the impact on the vessel lifecycle from availability to decarbonization. The presentation will also offer a truly innovative and groundbreaking concept of an electric drivetrain technology, combining an electrical rotating machine and associated power electronics.

Hydrogen fuel cells undoubtedly play a part in the future of marine power. The use of hydrogen, or its derivatives, is one of the few options for sustainable operation satisfying such energy-intense requirements. However, the skill sets and technologies to integrate these systems into maritime’s demanding environments are limited. The cost of developing bespoke fuel cell systems specifically for marine is prohibitive; a new approach, relying on the successful transition of products created for a broad range of sectors, must be deployed. This presentation will provide examples and insights into some of the challenges, innovations and opportunities arising on this journey.

Bigger battery systems are being installed on vessels all over the world, which is good. But can we be sure that the potential short circuits behind these huge energy sources are controlled or have even been considered? Solutions have been developed that reduce the potentially high short-circuit levels in marine applications to a level that even the smallest converters can handle. This presentation will discuss the potential short-circuit levels of different battery chemistries and how to reduce the energy introduced to a short circuit to only a small percentage of the energy that looms behind, with a short-circuit current limiter.

This presentation will focus on the threats and barriers that must be considered to make a safe battery installation on a ship. It will address the latest DNV class rules for EES systems and the new DNV class guideline 'Safety philosophy for EES systems'.

The battery industry is continually looking for the next breakthrough in energy density and cost advantage. However, in the marine sector we also need to concentrate on safety. This presentation shows the path to higher energy densities, new chemistries on the horizon, probable pricing and the timelines to get there.

Meeting the unique demands of design, performance, sustainability and safety is an ongoing challenge for the marine battery industry. This presentation describes principles and practices for ensuring the optimal performance of batteries and compliance with safety requirements. It argues that immersion cooling technology, implemented for the marine sector, not only provides the required power but also contributes to advanced safety features. This presentation will explore a mechanical test program that is going beyond marine standards (e.g. DNV) and stems from battery development for powerboat racing.

Nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium titanate oxide (LTO) batteries have emerged as frontrunners in marine energy storage solutions. Despite their potential, they suffer from calendar life degradation. This not only undermines battery efficiency but prompts operators to preemptively oversize installations. This inflates costs and environmental impacts. The assumption that excess capacity will offset the inevitable decline, however, overlooks critical factors like the effects of intermittent charging, depth of discharge preferences and temperature variations, which collectively can lead to premature capacity loss, thereby nullifying the perceived safety net of oversizing. A paradigm shift is warranted in marine battery sizing: from a conservative stance to an informed, analytical one. Emphasizing the intricacies of calendar life and the factors affecting it allows for a balanced solution that promotes both economic and environmental sustainability. This presentation invites the maritime industry to embrace a strategy that enhances the long-term viability and performance of marine energy storage systems.

This presentation is a case study of the P-12 Shuttle, which consumes about one-tenth the energy of a conventional ship, making it the most energy-efficient fast ship ever built. It can operate in urban waterways at higher speeds than traditional passenger boats because it creates virtually no wake. Higher service speeds will allow the shuttling of more passengers farther and faster than any other electric ship, thereby offering a cost-effective, holistic solution that allows for a paradigm shift in waterborne public transportation and fosters a better integration into public transportation systems.

This case study is of an innovative, fully electric hydrofoiling vessel, which can revolutionize commercial maritime operations including ferries, water taxis and tourism. A technical description of a fully hydrofoiling system will be presented, focusing on its significant reduction in water resistance and energy efficiency over traditional vessels. Real-world performance data will be discussed alongside case studies of example routes. Additionally, conceptual designs and performance of larger vessels will be presented.