Towards low-emission and more intelligent shipping with hybrid solutions

However, maritime transport is still the most environmentally-friendly alternative for transporting large quantities of goods. Indeed, we need innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies, such as various hybrid solutions that help achieve emission targets and reduce maintenance and operating costs. 

In the marine industry, it is important to know how to make sustainable solutions. In addition to environmental requirements, modernization pressures are also created by continuously increasing fuel costs, forcing to strive for optimal consumption.

With continuously increasing ship lifecycles, special attention must also be paid to the system maintenance, since the systems become obsolete faster than before. In addition to increasing maintenance costs, outdated technology also simultaneously reduces the overall energy efficiency of the ship.

We have been hearing about hybrid technology in the vehicle industry already for a long time, but its exploitation in the marine industry is also possible. Hybrid solutions enable optimization of energy consumption and diesel engine efficiency by combining electrical and battery technologies.

A hybrid solution enables energy efficiency by reserving power directly in an accumulator battery. For example, a diesel generator can first be driven for an hour and then for the following three hours merely powered by the accumulator battery. At the same time, this will quadruple the maintenance interval of the diesel generator. Furthermore, the fuel burns more cleanly compared to driving at low power.

Longer maintenance intervals are immediately visible in cost savings, whereas longer-term benefits are achieved through reduced emissions and fuel costs. With a correctly dimensioned accumulator battery, the machinery can also be completely stopped during the ship’s stay in port, for example. This is already a requirement in many ports and the trend is likely to become more widespread in the future. 

Hybrid technology and utilization of energy reserves in the marine industry have also been studied in a cooperative project of the University of Vaasa and the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) with the target of examining and developing new energy-efficient propulsion solutions for ships.

Although hybrid solutions do not represent a definitive solution for controlling emissions, they help improve the efficiency of energy solutions regardless of the fuel used. Although the battery technology is still expensive, a correctly selected hybrid solution will in any case pay itself back at best in a couple of years.

There are many alternatives for implementing various hybrid solutions, and the final implementation method is always determined based on what we want to achieve with the result. When looking for an optimal solution, it is also worth considering the scalability of systems as well as a partial modernization. Not everything needs to be renewed at once, but existing equipment can also be largely utilized.

Read more about the implemented solutions by downloading a brochure!