SEACOR Marine Holdings has announced plans to
convert four platform supply vessels (PSVs) to hybrid battery power.
The company on Thursday 25 Jan announced it a deal
to acquire the energy storage systems for the conversions from Kongsberg
Maritime AS.
The four PSVs included in the conversion plan are the SEACOR
Ohio, SEACOR Alps, SEACOR Andes, and SEACOR
Atlas. The conversion process is set to begin in December 2024 and is
expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2025. Once the conversions
are completed, over half of SEACOR Marine’s PSVs will be powered by hybrid
systems.
The conversion will involve equipping
the vessels with a containerised Deckhouse Energy Storage System and associated
switchboards and thruster control systems. The upgrade will also include
replacing the current Dynamic Positioning (DP) system on all four vessels with
a new Kongsberg Maritime K-Pos DP system.
Installing battery power can reduce fuel
consumption in DP operation mode on the vessels by up to 20%. The conversion
will also include a shore connection allowing for power grid connection while
in port, significantly reducing engine running hours and diesel fuel emissions.
“The key benefit of having battery
power instantly available is to maintain the redundancy of the vessels’ power
system, with less engines running. This is particularly useful when operating in DP
mode, but also has its value in other operational modes,” explains James
Poulton, Kongsberg Maritime, Senior Vice President, Aftermarket Sales.
Kongsberg Maritime will also upgrade the SEACOR
Yangtze with the Deckhouse Energy Storage System in February 2024 at
Ulsteinvik, Norway.
“Our decision to expand our hybrid fleet aligns
with SEACOR Marine’s core values of innovation and environmental stewardship
and builds upon our record of leadership in adopting green technologies in the
maritime sector,” said John Gellert, SEACOR Marine’s Chief Executive Officer. “SEACOR
Marine was one of the first offshore operators to install battery hybrid
systems, and this announcement marks a
significant step in our ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and
reduce the environmental impact of our fleet.”
“SEACOR Marine’s Transition to Hybrid Power:
Conversion of Four Vessels Begins in 2024”