Page 30 - Damen Shipyards Group

30 SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL 31

Setting standards in strange territory
At fi rst glance, such uniqueness may appear strange “WE FEEL WE ARE WELL
territory for Damen, a company that has made its name in PLACED TO PLAY OUR PART IN THE
standardising ship production. However, closer inspection
reveals that even in a world with such tailored requirements, DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC MARITIME
there is room for the Damen philosophy to bring advantage. PROPULSION. WE KNOW THE FERRY
BUSINESS. WE KNOW FERRIES. BESIDES,
“We can standardise the process by which the ferry is built –
the calculations we make in order to develop the right vessel WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
can be standardised,” continues Henk. YEARS – AND NOT JUST IN FERRIES.

The standardisation of processes can involve borrowing WE’VE DEVELOPED HYBRID TUGS
relevant technology from other sectors. Electrifi cation has FOR EXAMPLE.”
already made progress in land-based public transportation.
The charging systems used for buses can be adapted, for
example, for maritime usage.
“It’s not simply a case of taking a charging system and
hooking a boat up to it. It needs to be ‘marine-ised’. It will
need to handle higher voltages for one thing. Of course,
we always test this technology thoroughly; no matter how
successful it’s been on other applications we want to be sure
it works well on our vessels, but essentially, we are applying “We know ferries”
proven technology to innovative solutions.” “We feel we are well placed to play our part in the
development of electric maritime propulsion. We
DAMEN E-CROSS
In doing this, Damen is effectively taking on a role that R&D ON INTEGRATED ENERGY know the ferry business. We know ferries. Besides,
exceeds that of ‘just’ shipbuilder and becoming an integrator. MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR we’ve been working on this for years – and not
ELECTRIC AND HYBRID FERRIES just in ferries. We’ve developed hybrid tugs for
example.”
Damen’s experience with vessel electrifi cation has
Starting at the beginning included participation in EU-funded programmes
“Our aim with delivering the E-Cross is to provide support throughout the entire such as JOULES – the Joint Operation for Ultra Low
process, beginning with an advisory role at the very outset. We’ve had experience Emission Shipping. Within the project, participants
of this already, having served as a consultancy for BC Ferries in Canada, assessing developed and simulated benchmark cases,
for them what battery charging options were available. It tuned out that, at imagined taking place in 2025 and 2050.
present, it is not feasible to have onshore charging. On the basis of this we are
building for them hybrid diesel-electric vessels that are prepared for conversion Damen’s work on the project imagined a ferry service
“THE ROLE OF INTEGRATOR ALSO to full electric once the infrastructure exists. that operated between the cities of Rotterdam and
“The role of integrator also involves looking into things such as civic regulations Dordrecht in the Netherlands that would, in 2025,
INVOLVES LOOKING INTO THINGS SUCH and what power is available from the grid as well as helping to select the right feature a gas-propelled vessel and, by 2050, a fully
equipment and translating the operational profi le of the vessel into a match.” electric one using a hydrogen fuel cell.
AS CIVIC REGULATIONS AND WHAT
Capex Vs Opex “This experience proved valuable and the fi ndings
POWER IS AVAILABLE FROM THE GRID AS Standardising the process will speed up construction and ensure the reliability of the simulation have already been applied to a
of E-Cross Ferries. It will also, ultimately, exert downward pressure on costs – waterbus contract for Arriva in Denmark’s capital,
WELL AS HELPING TO SELECT THE RIGHT particularly as Damen is expecting demand for electric ferries to be high in the Copenhagen. These boats will be operational well
coming years. in advance of the perceived 2050 deadline. See
EQUIPMENT AND TRANSLATING THE page 32.
“We anticipate that political initiatives and growing environmental awareness will
OPERATIONAL PROFILE OF THE VESSEL equal signifi cant demand for electric ferries in the coming years. Eventually, as with “It’s early days for this technology in marine
anything, repeated product deliveries will result in a smooth fl ow of cost-effective applications still at this stage, but it’s certainly a
INTO A MATCH.” equipment. And, as we intend to build a lot of these types of vessel, we will fi nd part of the future and we’ll certainly be fulfi lling our
ourselves in a good position from a procurement perspective. From this base, we role in that future,” Henk concludes.
will be able to deliver a competitive offering to the market,” states Henk.

- HENK GRUNSTRA - The costs of an electric ferry operation are impossible to defi ne due to all the
variables already discussed above. However, there is often a case to be made that,
although initial capital outlay can be considerable relative to a conventional ferry
operation, the operating expense can be signifi cantly lower over the lifetime of
the vessel.