If yesterday’s story about a cargo ship powered by 100 percent renewable energy wasn’t enough shipping news for you, this one is for you. The Viking Lady, a 300-foot-long supply ship built in 2009, is about to become a hybrid with the addition of a bank of batteries.
Already known for being an environmentally-friendly ship due to its on-board fuel cell and liquified natural gas-powered motors, the people behind the Viking Lady are stepping it up a notch and are aiming to install a battery pack by 2013 which will reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 30 percent. Most of this savings will be realized while the ship is in dock, where it has to remain powered up but doesn’t require propulsion. The combination of the fuel cell and the battery pack will provide all the power it needs for those times.
The Viking Lady is a North Sea supply ship and part of a research group run by three Norway-based companies: Eidesvik, Det Norske Veritas, and Wärtsilä. It was the first merchant ship in the world to use a fuel cell for propulsion. “We know that the hybrid system will reduce the energy consumption,” said Bjørn-Johan Vartdal from Det Norske Veritas. “When operating, for example, on dynamic positioning, there will be a major fuel saving potential. When in harbour, too, the ship should be able to operate on the fuel cell and its battery power alone, which will reduce emissions significantly. For environmentally sensitive areas, this will be an essential benefit. Additional benefits are related to reductions in machinery maintenance costs and in noise and vibrations.”
The addition of a battery pack will enable the ship to pay for itself in just two years. If that’s the case, we can expect to see many more shipping companies jumping on the hybrid bandwagon as soon as they can.
Check out a video about the Viking Lady from 2009:
[via Innovation News Daily]