Maersk develops giant containerised ship battery

The battery system aims to reduce overall fuel consumption and improve reliability by ensuring a continuous power supply.

Spotted: Maersk has partnered with Trident Maritime Systems to create a containerised 600 kWh battery, which can be placed on any ship to provide power. The battery is being installed on the Maersk Cape Town in December, in a trial run.

It is not yet technically possible to propel commercial marine vessels using battery power alone. However, battery systems can be used to run the ships’ onboard electrical systems. This avoids running diesel-powered generators and reduces overall fuel consumption. The battery will also be used to provide extra power to the generators during rapid changes in electrical load, such as in a thruster operation. The battery system can then be used to provide redundant power, improving reliability by ensuring a continuous power supply.

The Cape Town’s onboard waste heat-recovery system provides a way for the batteries to recharge. The system charges the battery from heat energy — that would otherwise have been lost — out of the exhaust gas system for the main propulsion. This increases the overall efficiency of the battery system.

According to Søren Toft, Maersk COO, Mearsk has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

New developments in battery power are always of great interest to us at Springwise. We have recently covered innovations in this area that include an Indian battery regeneration project, an all-electric boat and a hydrogen fuel-cell bicycle.