Electric Drives News

Six new electric tugboats, including the groundbreaking Volta 1, have arrived in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with t e Volta 1, Europe’s first fully electric RSD tugboat, serving as the poster child for the port’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.The electric tugboat Volta 1 is a European first. With a bollard pull of 70 tons and powerful batteries that can fully recharge in just two hours via a 1.5 MW charging station, this tugboat is completely emission-free. In addition to the Volta 1, five diesel-powered tugboats also arrived in Antwerp today.

BEMAC, as majority shareholder, together with Mitsui have entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of The Switch from Yaskawa Europe Holding AB (a wholly owned subsidiary of YASKAWA Electric Corporation).The Switch Engineering Oy and its group companies are manufacturers of permanent magnet machines (PMM), DC distribution solutions (DC-Hub), high-power AC drives (single drives) and high-speed induction motors.The Switch possesses technology in MW-class PMMs…

Moises DelToro at GE Vernova’s Power Conversion business, discusses how deploying a Ship’s Electric Grid is a flexible way to accommodate growing energy demands for naval and coast guard vessels.A new age of electrificationWe’re in a new naval era and it is reshaping views about fleet mixes and capabilities. Modern fleets need to be mission-configurable, highly capable for military advantage, adaptable for technology insertion, but still affordable. The growing demand for vessel power is increasingly an enabler for mission systems, not just for platform propulsion.

Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch shines a light on how to produce electricity efficiently on ships.A ship is like a floating city that needs electricity to power its operations and amenities on board. So how to generate that electricity while being mobile? That question has been challenging the shipping industry for more than 150 years, when exciting new technologies were being pioneered at the forefront of the new age of electricity. Fast forward to today, and the challenges surrounding the production of electricity on board vessels have been spurred again.

Asbjørn Halsebakke of Yaskawa Environmental Energy/The Switch discusses the application in maritime for the company’s new generation DC-Hub with its unique Electronic DC Breaker (EDCB) and Electronic Bus Link (EBL).Your company is starting to talk about its new generation DC-Hub. Can you give an overview of this product evolution with insight on what makes it unique?I think one of the key features with maritime products and with DC-Hub is that you need to think first about personal safety. You need to think about how to make sure that everything is in a safe mode.

Artemis Technologies released the first pictures of its 100% electric, high-speed foiling workboat prototype on Belfast Lough. The vessel was designed and built to include the production specification drivetrain, battery and flight control components consumers will eventually see in the finished workboat.The 11.5-m vessel named “Pioneer of Belfast” is powered by the Artemis eFoiler system, designed to enable the prototype to fly over the water, using "significantly less energy than a conventional workboat" according to the developer, with high-speed re-charging technology also developed.

One of its most significant initiatives in the Japanese shipping industry's push toward net zero is e5 Lab Inc., a consortium comprising Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd., Exeno Yamamizu Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation, with the purpose of developing renewably powered commercial ships.e5 Lab  recently unveiled ROBOSHIP – a design for a biomass fuel carrier, powered by a fully standardized, electric propulsion system to attain zero emission operations at harbour.

Japan's Asahi Tanker said it will start using the world's first electric-powered tanker for ship fuelling, known as bunkering, later this month in an effort to cut carbon emissions.Japan, which is the world's fifth-biggest CO2 emitter, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while the global shipping industry, which relies on oil to power its vessels, is trying to speed up efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases."The vessel's core energy system is completely electrified to achieve zero emissions of CO2…

Norway-based Zinus, a supplier of shore power products and autonomous solutions for ports and vessels, has secured a contract with Penguin Shipyard International in Singapore for the delivery of a fully automatic charging solution to three electric passenger catamarans Penguin is building for Shell.Zinus' autonomous charging solution will enable fully electric and sustainable sea transportation for workers going to and from Shell Energy and Chemicals Park in Singapore.Zinus’ scope includes three charging towers for installation on land…

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it would supply a complete propulsion and control system package for a forthcoming Scandlines zero-emissions ferry which, when built, is destined to be the world’s largest all-electric double-ended ferry. The ferry has been designed by LMG Marin AS in Norway and will be constructed at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey, in cooperation with Scandline’s vessel-newbuild experts. The freight ferry is expected to enter service in 2024. The new 147.4 meters…

Aqua superPower announced a strategic partnership with AC charge point developer e-concept, which has developed a novel design of charging posts that have been approved for use in certain sensitive environments including the canals in Venice. Aqua superPower will be developing charging infrastructure for marine and inland water applications deploying e-concept’s AC charging posts where environmental, cultural and heritage factors need to be considered.e-concept manufactures public and private recharging stations for electric boats and for the transition towards electric marine transport.

Kotug will deploy the E-Pusher type M and four barges for zero-emission barging of cocoa beans from CARGILL between the Port of Amsterdam, the largest cocoa import port in the world, and their cacao facilities in Zaandam. The innovative vessel is equipped with swappable battery energy containers from Shift Clean Energy (Shift). Cargill will be the first company with this fully electrified industrial setup for inland shipping. With the 100% electric E-Pusher is designed to be modular and scalable, with the type M designed to push barges with up to 4,000 tons of cargo.

Incat Crowther inked a deal to design an Incat Crowther 32 hybrid-electric ferry for Fullers360 of Auckland, New Zealand. To be built by Q-West, the ferry will be the designer’s sixth from the builder and will join 10 other Incat Crowther ferries in the Fullers360 fleet.Designed specifically for the Devonport route, the vessel will provide an efficient, low emission, quiet service between Auckland and Devonport. Flexibility is provided by an enhanced capability to operate on other routes on the network.

Yara Birkeland, the world's first electric and self-propelled container ship has set off for its maiden voyage in the Oslo fjord in Norway.No Friday, today, the Norwegian Prime Minister was given a tour by the CEO of Yara, Svein Tore Holsether.Holsether said: "We are proud to be able to showcase the world's first fully electric and self-propelled container ship. It will cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2 and replace 40,000 trips by diesel-powered trucks a year."Friday morning, Holsether welcomed Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Bjørnar Skjæran on Yara Birkeland…

ABS, Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS), and Wärtsilä have teamed to develop a flexible, future-ready, and modular concept for a future multi-fuel electric Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) vessel.The project will, partners say, apply various decarbonization technologies and solutions to the vessel design and operation models to investigate its performance against the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) up to at least 2050."The LNGC will be highly flexible…

Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán has tapped ABB to supply all-electric power solutions for ten fast 40-meter urban passenger ferries transporting up to 540 passengers each across Lisbon’s Tagus river.The contract comes a week after Astilleros Gondan said it would start building a series of 10 fully electric passenger ferries for the Portuguese river passenger transport operator Transtejo.The ten new ferries will replace the existing fleet serving this route when they enter service between 2022 and 2024.In addition to energy storage…

Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries has ordered a Corvus Energy battery-based energy storage system (ESS) to integrate it into the zero-emissions all-electric propulsion and electrical systems aboard the “e5 tanker” under construction for Asahi Tanker.The battery-powered vessel was designed by e5 Lab Inc., a consortium of leading Japanese shipping and maritime services companies, including Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd., set up to build infrastructure services focused on electrically powered vessels.

Austal Australia launched the VOLTA series of electric-powered high speed ferry solutions, with the introduction of the Passenger Express 46V, a fully electric-powered 46-meter catamaran ferry design.The VOLTA series is distinct in the burgeoning market for electric vessels as it offers a completely integrated design, construction and support solution, including on-shore charging infrastructure and in-service support programs for operators.The series combines a light-weight, low-resistance hull forms…

The future is painted bright for companies dealing in hybrid and electric marine propulsion, as vessel owners and operators pursue cleaner technologies to comply with ever-stricter environmental regulations while also seeking ways to improve their bottom line.Case in point is Germany-based electric drives manufacturer Torqeedo, which has to date delivered more than 100,000 electric propulsion products for a wide range of recreational and commercial customers.The hybrid/electric market is one that’s ripe for growth, says Dr. Ralf Plieninger, COO and CTO, Torqeedo.

Over the past three years, P. Ravindran’s commute from his southern Indian village has been about more than getting to work - the SIM card seller sees his daily trip on India’s first solar-powered ferry as doing his bit for the green revolution.“I am proud to be a frequent traveler on the Aditya... I am being part of cleaning the Earth,” said Ravindran, who uses the boat most days to travel to the town of Vaikom on Lake Vembanad.The Aditya’s green credentials have attracted international…

One can hardly read industry news these days without seeing mention of hybrid vessels or batteries. We’ve all heard the praise and the pitfalls discussed by proponents and critics alike. This article is not intended to convince you if batteries are right for you or not. Instead, for owners wondering if batteries are feasible for their operation, the optimal vessel characteristics and operational parameters for all-electric vessels are presented and discussed.Hybrid vessels, generally defined by having both a diesel engine and batteries…

Wärtsilä said it booked an order in January to provide an integrated system consisting of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, dual-fuel engines and electrical propulsion system for the latest addition to Vancouver, Canada based BC Ferries’ series of Salish Class vessels.Three similar ferries, all operating on Wärtsilä engines fueled by LNG, have already been delivered. As with the previous three ferries, Remontowa Shipbuilding (RSB), located in Gdansk, Poland, will also build this latest ship.The Wärtsilä scope of supply includes three Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines…

The century-old Amsterdam canal boat Gerarda Johanna looks like a classic with wood paneling, but beneath its floorboards lies a high-tech underbelly: rows of lithium ion batteries, 66 in all, with an electric drive train powering its propeller.The boat is part of a push by Amsterdam's new Green Party mayor to ban diesel engines from the center's ancient canals by 2025, helping the city's efforts to combat climate change.The transition among commercial vessels is well underway, with 75% of the 550 on the city's water qualifying as emissions free, according to city spokesman Wouter Keuning.Canal boats were a natural fit to go first. They are Amsterdam's most popular tourist attraction…