Maritime transport emits more than 900 million tons of CO2 annually and is responsible for approximately 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification is the way forward for short sea and inland shipping in harbors, rivers, and fjords. In transitioning vessels from diesel to pure electric power, powerful onshore support is essential, in the form of reliable infrastructure for rapid charging capacity and stable grid supply.
Recharging land and sea
Electric vessels will be the preferred transport of tomorrow. To meet the demands this will put on charging solutions, fast charging needs to become economically viable and available on a mass scale. That way we can start to power a sustainable future.
Multi-MW charging for reliably fast turnaround
Most of us are familiar with electric vehicle charging, and the same principles apply to fast vessel charging in the maritime industry, only on a larger scale. Fast charging is especially relevant for fully electric vessels, which are typically used in short-haul passenger ferries and cargo vessels such as the electric ferry “Suloey". Despite their small scale compared to huge container or cruise ships, the power needed to rapidly charge ferries is in the multi-MW range. For successful ferry electrification, it’s therefore critical to master both grid performance and the charging process.
At Danfoss Drives, we have the application expertise and the power converters to deliver fast charging without compromise on performance or scalability. The highest possible power density and efficiency, paired with compact and lightweight construction, allow a flexible integration into vessel machine rooms and fast vessel chargers. And with an independent approach to systems, we enable you to design the best system possible with low complexity. With extensive expertise in marine, we tailor the solution to your specific needs, so you get fast charging with maximum performance and reliability for any type of vessel.
With Danfoss Drives products converting energy from the grid to battery and vice versa if needed, batteries can be charged with optimal speed and with high efficiency. Our scope of supply is the power conversion equipment, typically with smart grid control functions. A typical example is the system designed for the electric ferry ”Grotte”, based in Esbjerg, Denmark.
Reduce or defer capital expenses (CAPEX)By actively controlling, monitoring and supporting the grid from local batteries on shore you can achieve the high peak power crucial to fast charging without investing in grid infrastructure. This is done by using local batteries with peak shaving functionality. Peak shaving involves optimizing the energy flow between the incoming supply and local storage to meet spikes in demand without disrupting the supply grid. Excess energy can be stored when demand and costs are low.
Reduce operating expenses (OPEX) Draw upon green electricity to power the vessels. When this green energy is produced and consumed locally, the OPEX is minimized.
In Nærøyfjord, Norway, the local mains grid does not have sufficient capacity to charge the ferry "Future of The Fjords" directly. Instead, the vessel recharges its battery at the PowerDock, a floating fiberglass dock with 2.4 MWh charging capacity: 1.2 MWh sourced from a battery pack and 1.2 MWh from the grid.
Are you ready to accelerate your electrification journey? Our fast-charging expert, Wouter Wolters, is ready to get in touch with you and have an informal discussion. Submit your queries below.
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Future of the Fjords represents a new standard of environmentally responsible fjord tourism, as the first fully electric carbon fiber vessel in the world.
The Hareid-Sulesund ferry operator has reduced CO2 emissions by 7000 tonnes annually with the introduction of electric vessels.
Every year, the first fully commercial electric ferry in Denmark shuttles 1.8 million passengers across a 4 km strait. The future holds big potential to operate shorter routes using electric ferries.
On Amsterdam’s IJ River, hybrid ferries powered by VACON® drives enjoy 24/7 uptime, smaller generator size, improved air quality, less noise and easy maneuverability.
As the first in Denmark, the ferry’s electric equipment now runs primarily on battery power, connecting to a shore power supply to recharge batteries between trips. The 2016 conversion from pure diesel to hybrid operation has reduced diesel consumption by 20,000 l annually – from 90,000 l to 70,000 l.
To protect the pristine environment during tours, the Krka National Park commissioned two hybrid e-vessels designed for a capacity of 50 passengers each. The vessels are equipped with both solar PV panels and battery storage. When the sun shines, solar cells supply power to the propulsion. When the sun disappears, the propulsion runs on battery power.
Enables system integrators, machine builders and OEMs to design and build efficient industrial drives systems. Active Front-end (NXA), Non-regenerative Front-end (NXN), Brake Chopper (NXB) and Inverter (NXI) configurations are available.
Air- and liquid-cooled drives specifically designed for smart grid, energy storage, green hydrogen, power conversion and marine energy management applications.
VACON® NXP DCGuard™ delivers reliable short-circuit protection of DC grids for full selectivity between DC grids, and ensures fast disconnection in the event of a fault.
Well-suited to applications where air quality is critical, space is limited and efficient heat transfer is required. Active Front-end (NXA), Non-regenerative Front-end (NXN), Brake Chopper (NXB) and Inverter (NXI) configurations are available.
Maximizes the energy yield in hybrid solutions and helps improve performance by bringing energy support close to the consumption.
We are constantly overcoming new challenges to optimize performance and efficiency in marine electrification. Our maritime engineers are at the forefront of DC grid implementation, and know how to extract the extra energy saving benefits of combining DC grid, energy storage and/or variable speed generators. And the challenges? For instance, we have figured out how to provide the more sophisticated protection specially required for DC grids, supporting stable fast charging of vessels.
Discover more about DC grids
As well as fast vessel charging, Danfoss Drives supports decarbonization of the marine industry in diverse applications including shore supply and hybridization, using the benefits of peak shaving and time delay to use energy in the most competitive way possible. Throughout Danfoss Group, we also offer a broad range of energy efficiency technologies to support you in meeting climate targets.
How does shore supply help ports meet emission targets? We can help retrofit vessels for shore supply compatibility.
Use different types of energy at the same time to bridge the gap between energy generation and consumption.
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