Rolls-Royce has launched a new lithium-ion-based energy storage system for vessels. Rolls-Royce said that the energy storage system (ESS) was a major “green investment” for a shipowner.
The company has been delivering energy storage systems since 2010. However, the actual energy storage units were previously supplied by an external party.
Rolls-Royce now offers SAVe Energy, a liquid cooled battery system with a modular design that enables the product to scale according to energy and power requirements. The company added that SAVe Energy complied with international legislation for low and zero-emission propulsion systems.
According to Rolls-Royce, returns are maximized when the system is correctly dimensioned for the specific vessels and includes intelligent power control.
The development work for the ESS has been partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council of Norway’s ENERGIX program.
Three ship owning companies Color Line, Norled, and the Norwegian Coastal Administration Shipping Company were partners in the development, ensuring that the energy storage system covers a wide variety of marine applications, including ferries, cruise vessels, and multi-purpose vessels.
The SAVe Energy system will be delivered from the Rolls-Royce Power Electric site in Bergen, Norway, as part of the company’s offering of complete ship systems.
Andreas Seth , the EVP of Electrical, Automation, and Control for Commercial Marine at Rolls-Royce, said: “From 2010 we have delivered battery systems representing about 15 MWh in total. However now the potential deployment of our patent pending SAVe Energy in 2019 alone is 10-18 MWh.”
“SAVe Energy can be applied to several areas including peak shaving, spinning reserve, and battery-powered vessels. Combined with an LNG or diesel powered engine in a hybrid solution, it will increase efficiency and reduce emissions and can be coupled with most types of propulsion units. In a hybrid set up, SAVe Energy handles the peak load, while the main power generators will relate to the average load and not reduce the propulsion units thrusting capabilities,” the company said.
“[…] SAVe Energy is being introduced on many of the projects we are currently working on. This includes the upgrade program for Hurtigruten’s cruise ferries, the advanced fishing vessel recently ordered by Prestfjord, and the ongoing retrofits of offshore support vessels,” added Andreas Seth.