LEADER BRIEFING
MEETING THE POWER CHALLENGE IN ASIA As we move deeper into the green shift globally, around 80% of vessels in the future will be either fully electric or powered by hybrid systems Many will have multiple power sources in addition to main engines and gensets running on diesel, LNG or a combination of both. Renewable power from hydrogen and potentially fuel cells, solar and even wind may increasingly be part of the mix as shipping adapts to the changing energy landscape to combat emissions. Other onboard power sources will include stored power from batteries, power from shore, and shaft generators converting mechanical power into electricity. If we are serious about meeting the IMO’s emissions reductions objectives, these solutions need to be adopted by ship owners and operators where the largest number of ships are owned and operate. The good news is that this shift is already occurring in Asia, as we speak. We expect that over 60% of the world’s hybrid vessels will be operating in Asia by 2024. From my perspective in East Asia, I have seen a major increase in the sophistication of discussions about power management issues from shipowners and the wider market in recent years. I don’t just mean larger more sophisticated shipowners from the main hubs, but also smaller private owners from Southeast Asia. The starting point for commercial discussions has shifted from discussions about discussions about peak shaving to the specific advantages of different solutions for individual vessels’ operating profiles. To pick just one example, we are seeing a lot of interest in the energy efficiency possibilities offered by variable speed frequency conversions. There are of course people out there offering solutions for variable speed frequency conversion more cheaply. But it is hard for lower cost suppliers to guarantee performance. But in Asia, just like elsewhere in the world, shipowners still prefer to deal with suppliers who can demonstrate a track record of successful projects. Managing and distributing all that energy effectively is an intricate business amid a proliferation of load demands ranging from main propulsion and thruster drives to all sorts of electric auxiliaries, such as winches, cranes, pumps, chargers and other. Not to mention onboard data systems and hotel demand. Of course, one of the reasons people approach us because of our well-known DC grid offering. Switching from an AC to a DC grid delivers better fuel consumption and other cost savings, along with unbeatable reliability. A future-proof system requires components that can produce, transmit and consume energy as efficiently as possible. Our DC-Hub uses standardized independent power drives (inverter and rectifier modules) fully integrated into one coherent solution. The DC-Hub works with any power source giving new meaning to the word flexible. This is cutting-edge, multi-megawatt technology that’s unique in the industry and helping owners achieve new levels of energy efficiency. Frequency converters ensure a constant supply of power that is 100% reliable, which is absolutely essential for specialized tonnage such as offshore vessels and wind
8 | MAY 2020
turbine service vessels using dynamic positioning for precise steady-state operations. Our innovative modular design offers unparalleled malleability in that module cabinets can be added in series to match changing requirements. Before, that would have required a complete electrical redesign, now it’s as easy as arranging Lego bricks and scalable to any number of auxiliaries. The rectifiers in a DC system convert the AC generator voltage to the DC main bus voltage resulting with a very fast power-generation response. DC-Hubs are also especially efficient for DC energy sources like batteries and fuel cells, minimizing the number of conversions required. Managing stored electric power effectively is particularly important when vessels need to sail pollution-free, that is in electric mode. This could be, for example, a superyacht sailing into a protected bay, ferries carrying passengers in emission-free zones or a cruise ship navigating an urban port. But beside the economic aspects, our solutions are also helping to lower the carbon footprint. Any solution developed by our industry will need to reach the region where most vessels operate if we are going to meet emissions reductions targets overall. Helping to make that happen motivates all of us every day at Yaskawa Environmental Energy/The Switch.
8 Carlo Cecchi
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