The Norwegian shipping industry is teaming up

[Tore Hettervik]

The Norwegian shipping industry is teaming up and has taken a leading role in developing battery-powered ships.


http://www.dnv.com/press_area/press_releases/2013/norway_is_teaming_up_in_pole_position_for_battery_powered_ships.asp

[Allan RO]

Interesting, but considering 1000kg cars can only go about 150km when battery operated, it does not seem to be much use on a 10,000gt ship !

On the other hand we already have a solar powered catamaran doing 90 minute tours around Emsworth/Chichester harbour, the Solar Heritage

Allan

[Tuomas Romu]

Interesting, but considering 1000kg cars can only go about 150km when battery operated, it does not seem to be much use on a 10,000gt ship!

If a 2-metre man can jump five metres, how far can a man who weighs 100 kg jump?

[davidships]

Where did 10,000gt come from, Allan?
What's it got to do with solar power?

So you think that this one won't work when delivered in two years time?
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http://www.tu.no/industri/2012/11/09/her-er-verdens-storste-batteridrevne-ferge
Fjellstrand Yd 1696
IMO 9683611
4850gt

[ChasB46]

Viking Lady= 9227 grt ; within 9% to 10,000 as an example.

[davidships]

Not a valid comparison, as VIKING LADY (and EDDA FIRD) will be hybrids.  Any size ship can be a hybrid to some degree.  A hybrid car has a range far beyond 150km (The 1420kg Toyota Prius, for example, has an official EPA range of 870km)

The point about these two vessels is the they will provide useful proving grounds for advanced technology that can then be applied to vessels operating in conditions where pure-electric propulsion is feasible.

Nevertheless, a 10,000gt vessel all-electric vessel will probably come when the battery and recharging technology is proven with the half-sized model.  There are a good number of ferry crossings using ships of that size and where terminal time should be sufficient for recharge.

[Allan RO]

Frankly all this talk about green power is rubbish.  Every process in which energy is transformed from one form to another is less than 100% efficient, so it will take more power to charge the batteries than they will ever produce.  Solar cells are already being used on some car carriers to replace auxillary generators whilst in port, but thats a huge distance from being able to power the ship, and even as a source of an auxillary power supply they take the area of the entire top deck. 

Some time ago I watched a demonstration at National Oceanography Centre in Southampton of a small model car powered by a hydrogen cell.  A form of power that only produces water as waste....very ecologically friendly.   And very impressive until I pointed out that it takes more electric power to generate the hydrogen and oxygen from water, that you ever get back....a point that was grudgingly admitted.

Allan

Allan   

[Kelvin Davies]

Totally agree Allan,
What is the first law of physics? You can't get something for nothing!
Also, doesn't commercial production of hydrogen involve lots of methane?
And doesn't it produce CO or CO2 as a by-product? Kind of defeats the object!
I remember in the 1960s when they went mad electrifying all the railways. People were saying what a splendid pollution reducing idea. They couldn't see that all it did was to centralise the pollution production around the power stations. At least steam engines spread it about!
Kelvin

[Allan RO]

Hi Kelvin

Cynics of the World unite.  All those using 'hybrid' cars....where does the electrity come from to charge your batteries?.....oil or coal fired power stations...ooops CO2 emissions, nuclear....oh dear what shall we do with the waste for a couple of thousand years....I know, wind power, lets cover he entire planet with useless wind turbines that use more power in their manufacture than they will ever produce in their miserable lifetime.

cheers

Allan

[Tuomas Romu]

I'm okay with nuclear and I'd like to see a reduction in greenhouse gases...

[Jean Hemond]

 I am one of the Cynics! Praise for the Norwegian business attitude. I only wish we could foster  do exactly the same but our large business here sacrifice to foreign gods .
For we have here a large surplus of  hydro-electricity.  Thanks to highly controversial shale gas prices and dirty tar sands! I believe very strongly in using Hydo electricity under all forms. Windmills and all other sources in general fails short on price competition.
 I praise the Norwegian attitude in business  environment and even more so in nationalist economic objectives. I went there at several instances  to report on the industrial benefits of their fine tuning of North Sea Oil and gas policies and strategies.  Canadian Government  is presently by choice blindly acting at the extreme opposite.
  Powering ferries and short distance ships through ice however  in my opinion still requires hybrid power-plants.  Here the local government recently  ordered natural gas powered ferries, not a large step. A major strategic error nevertheless in my idea not to promote our own electricity and eventual technology!