Study Evaluates Uses for Batteries on Deep-Sea Vessels

Industry group CIMAC and the Maritime Battery Forum have published the first of three white papers on the use of batteries in deep-sea shipping.

This first paper, Environment for the use of batteries in deep-sea shipping: Use cases and application areas, demonstrates the potential for battery usage even though a fully battery-powered, zero-emission application is not yet available.

Currently, vessels on order include hybrid propulsion vehicle carriers and oil/chemical tankers. Installations typically vary between 350kWh and 2,847 kWh. Motives for installing batteries include redundancy and safety, operational efficiency and environmental benefits.

Installation scenarios include using batteries for power take in (PTI) / power take-off (PTO) functionality or for electrically-driven thrusters. Batteries can help optimize engine performance on vessels that experience large load variations. Batteries can also be used for black-out prevention.

The upcoming paper on regulation, safety, and impact on staff is expected to be published by the end of 2025. This will be followed by the third paper which will address the main topics of energy storage and integration, including life-cycle assessment, operation range and limits.