How to decarbonize your ship - battery hybrid + varying engine load
Determine the impact of your operational profile and engine load on a business case for a battery hybrid
This case study examines a general cargo ship with an auxiliary engine of 116 kW that is outfitted with a battery to make it a ‘battery hybrid’ while at berth. The battery pack powers the ship for several hours while idling or moored and is recharged using the auxiliary engines. This particular case looks at the impact of different operational profiles on the business case. In other words, engine load is varied and OPEX savings determined based on different settings. Engine maintenance is the highest contributing factor on savings, in particular when the engine load is highly variable. This case study is powered by our preferred partner Royal Roos, who can support you with the engineering and refitting required to install a battery pack on board your vessel. Use the Battery Hybrid Single Engine Tool to make your own business case.
The case study is called ‘Major Prius’. Engine load settings vary between 10% - 100% while idling, resulting in an average power demand of 20 to 50 kW.
A CO2 reduction of 100% is achieved while the engine is turned off (evidently) but overall CO2 reduction is 10 to 30% because the battery pack needs to be recharged by the aux. engine itself.
CAPEX costs are estimated at €200k, but depend heavily on battery cell price, inclusion of manhours as well as vessel conversion required.
OPEX is reduced by over 50%, mainly because of engine maintenance savings, thereby achieving annual savings in the order of €20k-€30k. It is recommended to investigate a leasing or rental construction to negate CAPEX-out and still benefit from a clean, silent ship while at berth.
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This case study examines a general cargo ship with an auxiliary engine of 116 kW that is outfitted with a battery to make it a ‘battery hybrid’ while at berth. The battery pack powers the ship for several hours while idling or moored and is recharged using the auxiliary engines. Cost savings generally occur with an average engine load below 50%, but are mostly dependent on engine maintenance costs, spares and consumables as well as total battery pack costs.
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This case study also examines a general cargo ship with an auxiliary engine of 116 kW that is outfitted with a battery to make it a ‘battery hybrid’ while at berth. Again the battery pack powers the ship for several hours while idling or moored and is recharged using the auxiliary engines. This time however, engine load is varied in different loading scenarios to determine the impact of different operational profiles on the business case.