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Battery-Powered Bulkers to Use Wind Rotors Optimized for Harsh Conditions
Berge Rederi will incorporate two specially designed wind rotor sails from Norsepower into its innovative zero-emission bulk carriers now building in Nanjing, China. The company reports the vessels expected to launch starting late this year will be the world’s largest battery-powered bulk carriers and far surpass the current longest voyages for battery-electric ferries.
The two cutting-edge general cargo ships are designed to operate entirely without emissions while transporting marble from Brønnøy and Visnes along the Norwegian Sea coast of Norway to the Omya Hustadmarmor production plant in Elnesvågen to be processed into calcium carbonate. Each of the vessels, which will be 13,250 dwt and 426 feet (129.9 meters) in length will sail a distance of approximately 230 nautical miles. According to Berge, this will set a record compared to the current longest battery-ferry route of just 15 nautical miles.
The vessel’s propulsion system is powered by a 23.5 MWh battery package which will be supplemented with shaft generators and two fixed 24 x 4 meter (79 x 13 foot) Norsepower Rotor Sails. Norsepower highlights the rotors are being specially optimized for the harsh conditions, including snow, ice, rain, and high winds, often encountered along the Norwegian Sea route.
“This project was designed for the extreme conditions of the Northen Sea, and we are proud that Berge Rederi chose Norsepower as their partner,” said Marcus Sannholm, Head of Sales at Norsepower. “Our product has been in use at tough sea conditions for more than a decade now, which enables us to create these kinds of partnerships with innovative, market-leading companies. By working with Berge Rederi and MDC from the design phase, we’ve ensured that these vessels will set a new benchmark for sustainability and efficiency in their class.”
Norsepower is collaborating with Berge Rederi and the Norwegian ship designer Marine Design and Consulting for the development of the systems. Through extensive hydrodynamic and structural studies, the teams optimized the vessels’ performance and ensured that the Norsepower Rotor Sails would deliver maximum savings and reliability. The latest high-tech materials will ensure reliable operation for the rotors in the rough sea conditions.
“We’re excited to partner with Norsepower and MDC on this transformative project,” said Magne Berge, owner of Berge Rederi. “The combination of hybrid propulsion and Norsepower Rotor Sails aligns perfectly with our mission to minimize our environmental footprint while maintaining the highest standards of operational efficiency.”
The vessels are being built by Jiangsu SOHO Marine Heavy Industry Co. with the first one scheduled to be delivered with the rotor sails installed by the end of 2025. Supporting the operation will be charging stations at the ports in Remman (Brønnøy) and Elnesvågen. Additionally, an electric excavator and shore power connections will be used at both ports to maintain fully emission-free cargo operations.
Berge reports that the rotor sails are expected to contribute to an average power savings of 339 kW per voyage. Each vessel is expected to annually cut CO2 emissions by around 9,000 tons and NOx emissions by 200 tons.
Based in Hitra, Norway, Berge Rederi operates a fleet of nine self-discharging bulk cargo vessels ranging from 2,700 to 13,000 dwt.
The project has received backing from the Norwegian NOx Fund and Enova, and the development process has been guided by the GSP Service Centre for Green Fleet Renewal.
UK Launches Next Clean Maritime Competition with $37M in Funding
The UK government has begun the sixth round of its Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition promising to provide a total of nearly $37 million to advance decarbonization in the industry. The program is designed to support clean maritime technologies including electric, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, wind power, and more.
“CMDC round 6 is a great opportunity for UK innovators to take part in a world-renowned maritime transport R&D grant funding program,” said Mike Biddle, executive director of Net Zero at Innovate UK, a non-departmental agency that works as part of the UK Research & Innovation organization. “The competition focuses on the ever-more prevalent issue of decarbonization within the industry and we’re looking forward to seeing participation from across the maritime transport sector and beyond, focusing on physical, digital, system, and skills-based innovation.”
The program encourages innovators to form partnerships drawing from different sectors including the operating maritime companies to demonstrate unique new approaches and technologies. They promote the program as demonstrating the power of collaboration between leading British companies and it supports the efforts turning innovative ideas into real solutions. As part of the program, companies develop working demonstrations of their technologies.
With the sixth round of funding, the UK government highlights it has invested a total of £159 million ($195 million) to accelerate green maritime projects and support new jobs. The next round was announced today, January 16, and will officially open on January 24. Applications are due by April 16, 2025. Previous rounds have provided funding to over 300 organizations.
“I’m proud to see this funding boost growth and create jobs throughout the UK, as well as ushering in an era of zero-emission shipping,” said Maritime Minister Mike Kane.
Among the projects they are highlighting from prior rounds are the installation of Britain’s first electric chargepoint networks across the ports in the South West, the largest retrofit of a hydrogen research vessel in Wales, and the installation of a carbon capture system on a vessel.
The Maritime Minister also visited Hull in England yesterday, January 15, to see the construction of the first AirWing from GT Wings which received a £225,000 (US$275,000) grant from the Department for Transport. In collaboration with the University of Bath and Carisbrooke Shipping, they are currently building the AirWing which will be demonstrated during the first quarter of 2025. The foil is made of composite materials and has a smaller footprint while expected to produce up to a 30 percent fuel savings without impacting cargo operations.
The first installation of the AirWing will take place on a Carisbrooke Shipping 407-foot (124-meter) general cargo vessel.
Germany’s First Fully Electric Seagoing Vessel Completes Trials
The first fully electric seagoing vessel in Germany, a catamaran ferry, has completed its acceptance trials and is preparing to be deployed. It joins a growing number of battery-powered ferries that are demonstrating the growing opportunities for electric power.
The vessel, E-Kat, designed and built by Damen Group was launched on June 29 in Gorinchem, Netherlands. It was expected to make its first test runs during the summer as outfitting was being completed. Slightly behind schedule, the owner of the vessel AG Reederei Norden-Frisa reports the acceptance trials were completed on January 15. They said that means the necessary permits, insurance, and official approvals have been completed ahead of the beginning of service.
The company also reports that the charging infrastructure of the battery power system with a maximum capacity of 1,800 kW has also been largely installed. They have also completed full power charging tests at the pier.
"All formalities have been completed," says Michael Garrelts, technical inspector at AG Reederei Norden-Frisia. "If the weather plays along, the E-Kat will arrive in Norddeich in January."
The ferry is built of aluminum with a length of approximately 106 feet (32.3 meters) and a capacity for up to 150 passengers. It has a payload of 11,250 kg.
The first-of-its-kind ferry for Germany will operate at speeds of 16 knots (19 maximum capability) between Norddeich in western Germany on the North Sea and the Norderney, one of the East Frisian Islands. That will make it possible to reduce the travel time by almost half to just 30 minutes. They expect to make up to eight trips a day.
Propulsion is two propellers driven by electric motors each with 600 kW and two 75 kW electric bow trusters. The battery and power system was developed by a Dutch company EST-Floattech which provided its Octopus High Energy battery system.
Once docked in Norddeich, the E-Kat will be recharged using the shore power connections. A full charge will take approximately 28 minutes and will give the ferry power for the round trip. The distance between the port and the island is approximately 11 km (7 miles).
"Our long-term goal is to create a closed cycle of electricity production and electricity consumption," says shipping company board member Cal-Ulfert Stegmann. He notes that they have already installed photovoltaic systems at the company’s buildings in the port and on the island. It is also providing charging stations for electric vehicles.
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