Hybrid power supplier boxes clever to provide battery option for workboats
Fjord Maritime says above-deck solution will pay itself in four years
Hybrid power specialist Fjord Maritime is offering fish farmers in Scotland a way of improving workboat sustainability by using a deck-mounted 150 kWh battery pack to provide the energy to operate cranes and other equipment.
Fjord Maritime is best known for the battery packs and associated control systems it supplies for feed barges but is now extending its product range to boats.
The battery pack is housed in a weather-proof cabinet and is designed for boats that don’t have space for a battery pack below deck. It is intended to be charged overnight from a shore power connection.
It will not power propulsion of the workboat but will meet the electrical demands of the other systems on the vessel, including cranes. A vessel fitted with the battery pack, called the PowerBX, will not lose any of its original features, meaning that if the battery is empty it can operate as it has done previously, using diesel power.
Recharged at night
Fjord Maritime has recently fitted its first PowerBX to a service catamaran used by Norwegian salmon producer E. Karstensen Fish Farming, which in 2018 became the first company to adopt Fjord Maritime’s Fjord Hybrid barge technology and later the first to combine it with shore power.
“PowerBX uses battery systems that can be recharged at night with renewable electricity, and which are then used to power all crane and deck operations. This solution significantly reduces noise, emissions and fuel consumption, which makes the operation more environmentally friendly and efficient,” the fish farmer’s managing director Geir Karstensen said.
Fjord Maritime’s global sales manager Torstein Nygård said the company was ready to introduce the PowerBX in the UK and Iceland now and will then work towards Chile and Canada.
He said the benefits of the PowerBX included:
- Eliminating slow load running of engines and generators
- Silent deck operations near the pen
- Reduction in emissions, fuel consumption, and maintenance costs
- Increased lifetime of onboard equipment
- Improved hydraulic efficiency
- Automatic system reporting, including battery health calculations
Fuel saving
“The PowerBX gives you a significant fuel saving over its lifespan. It provides a quieter, cleaner, and more efficient work environment,” said Nygård. “It also reduces low-load engine use during deck operations, improving sustainability and lowering operational costs. We calculate an average payback on the system in around four years.”
The sales chief added: “We are looking forward to introducing our PowerBX to the fish farmers outside of Norway.
“Based on having over 215 Fjord Hybrid systems active on feed barges, and with several under installation in the UK, Iceland, Chile, Canada and Norway, it is a natural development for Fjord Maritme to also now be an active partner in improving efficiency of the vessels connected to fish farming. Our main goal is to drive the green revolution and help our customers reach their targets toward reduced emissions.”
