Swedish company SeaFjord Energy has developed the world’s first e-bunker vessel, a new type of ship capable of delivering electricity to ships in ports.
SeaFjord Energy’s e-bunker vessel is developed in collaboration with vessel designer FKAB. The e-bunker vessel can then transport and recharge battery packs on board other vessels, or supply entire ships without battery packs, with emission-free electrical energy.
As explained, the e-bunker vessel comes equipped with a large battery pack, that represents a new way of supplying green energy to vessels.
Another possibility with the e-bunker vessel is that it can be used for trading with energy and be charged at beneficial times or locations and deliver energy at other times or at other onshore locations. The vessel can also be used as a backup resource in emergency or in crisis situations.
“For large vessels, there is currently only a limited possibility of shore connections in port and an expansion of the infrastructure is both expensive and in many cases not possible,” Elias Magnusson , COO SeaFjord Energy, commented.
“Our new e-bunker vessel delivers green energy as electrons, at the places the customer needs it. It drastically increases the possibilities for vessels to become electrified and operate emission-free at sea and in ports and fjords to a greater extent.”
The e-bunker vessel is designed to be able to deliver an output of up to 50 megawatts, and a normal charge takes about 60 minutes. According to the company, this amount of energy is sufficient for a ferry to sail from the south of Sweden to the north of Germany.
“This creates completely new opportunities for the tourism industry as well. The fact that the e-bunker vessel offers fast charging at sea enables ships to travel longer distances without unnecessary stops in ports, or long breaks for charging,” Magnusson added.
“We are proud to be pioneers in the development of this type of vessel and are looking forward to collaborating with our partners and stakeholders to promote a more sustainable maritime sector,” Andreas Magnusson , CEO SeaFjord Energy, concluded.