Electric Water Vehicles

With upcoming ship-based surveys in Alaska canceled due to the global health crisis, NOAA Fisheries has turned to Saildrone to collect data to support the sustainable management of America's largest fishery.

The technology group Wärtsilä has joined a consortium of key partners to form Zero Emission Services BV, an enterprise aimed at making inland waterway shipping more sustainable.

Since 2016 the market for electric and hybrid commercial vessels has started to follow an exponential growth pattern as maritime battery prices halved. However, system-level battery prices for boats are still roughly four times higher than the battery packs sold in electric cars. The following article explores why.

Asahi Tanker has decided to build two world first zero-emission electric propulsion tankers. The vessel is a pure battery tanker powered by large-capacity lithium-ion batteries is scheduled to enter Tokyo Bay as a marine fuel supply vessel.

This article highlights some of the key challenges remaining to bring electric leisure boats into the mainstream which are covered in more detail in the popular report "Electric Leisure & Sea-going Boats and Ships 2021-2040" recently updated by IDTechEx.

Electric, digital and connected solutions provide a direction of travel for dry cargo vessels towards greater efficiency and lower emissions using proven technology. In this, it is the ship's electrical propulsion system that acts as the key enabler for the integrated automation and control systems that can deliver transformative operations.

The MOU between ABB and hydrogen technologies specialist Hydrogène de France envisages close collaboration on the assembly and production of the fuel cell power plant for marine applications.

In 2020 vessel owners have had to deal with an 'emissions control world' for the first time. Unlike most other mobility sectors, which predominantly tend to switch partly or completely to a traction battery in order to meet emissions targets, a mixture of solutions have a role to play for boats and ships.

Former racing catamaran turned ship of the future, Energy Observer has made waves as it has been navigating its six-year odyssey around the world as the first energy-autonomous hydrogen vessel. Toyota, official partner of Energy Observer and an avid supporter of their project from the start, announced that it has developed a fuel cell system for maritime applications, with its first delivery destined for Energy Observer.

Equinor has signed an agreement with Eidesvik Offshore for the modification of the Viking Energy supply vessel, to make it capable of covering long distances fuelled by carbon-free ammonia. The vessel will transport supplies to installations on the Norwegian continental shelf.