On December 20th, an online expert workshop focusing on Battery Swapping for Maritime and Aviation was highly successful in examining the potential applications of battery swap technology in these sectors. The workshop was initiated by IEA HEV TCP Task 48 and the Maritime Battery Forum, and it was organized by Botree Recycling Technologies. This specialized workshop attracted nearly 90 representatives from a diverse array of 23 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Austria, Australia, Poland, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, Lebanon, the United States, Norway, Japan, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, Spain, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, Chile, and China.
The increasing energy density of lithium batteries, combined with global shipping’s commitment to environmental protection, suggests that electric ships could be a potential power battery replacement for fossil-fueled vessels. The electric aviation sector, supported by technological advancements, supportive policies, and market expansion, is poised for a promising future.
The workshop aimed to evaluate the current market landscape, future prospects, obstacles, and potential opportunities within the electric vessel and aviation sectors. The primary objective was to promote cross-industry collaboration to drive the green and low-carbon transformation of these sectors.
Dr. Lin Xiao, Chairman and CEO of Botree Recycling Technologies, warmly welcomed and expressed gratitude to all attending experts and participants. He highlighted that with continuous breakthroughs in new energy technologies and growing market demands, the need for efficient, safe, and convenient battery swapping systems in electric ships and aviation would become increasingly prominent. Botree Recycling Technologies pledged active participation in promoting swap solutions tailored for these applications, along with international technology exchanges and collaborations, aiming to elevate the industry’s technical level and resource utilization efficiency, thereby contributing to the realization of a green and sustainable transportation system.
He then introduced Mr. Syb ten Gregor Hoedemaker, General Manager of the Maritime Battery Forum, who served as the moderator for this event.
Task 48 was honored to host six authoritative experts from the maritime and aviation fields, each delivering insightful keynote speeches on pertinent topics. They delved into the current state and future prospects of swapping technology in aviation and maritime sectors. Collectively, their presentations not only underscored the technological advancements and innovations driving these industries but also emphasized the critical role of collaboration and strategic planning in harnessing the full potential of battery swapping as a key driver of green and low-carbon transport.
Concluding the seminar, Mr. Syb ten Gregor Hoedemaker stressed the paramount importance of sustained cooperation and innovation in advancing the green and low-carbon transformation of the maritime and aviation sectors.
Throughout 2023, Task 48 organized four online expert seminars, including discussions on battery swapping for two and three-wheelers, commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and electric vessels and aviation. These seminars were designed to create an effective communication platform where experts, scholars, and industry representatives globally could engage in in-depth discussions and share experiences on electrification processes, swapping technologies, and their business models in the transportation sector. They aimed to accelerate the formulation and unification of swapping standards, tackle common technical and market promotion issues, expedite the sustainable development of the new energy industry, and provide robust support for establishing an intelligent, green, and convenient transportation energy system.
The workshop also addressed hot topics such as battery recycling, safety supervision, and technological innovation, further refining and enriching the entire ecosystem of the new energy industrial chain. The panel discussions and Q&A sessions were a lively opportunity for attendees to engage with speakers and share their thoughts on the topics being discussed. In conclusion, Cate Hoedemaker emphasized the critical importance of continuous collaboration and innovation for advancing the green and low-carbon transition of the maritime and aviation sectors.
Dr. Tan Xiang, Executive Secretary General of the Chinese Academy of Sciences UAV Application & Monitoring Research Center, gave a comprehensive overview of the development of the UAV industry and drone battery development in China.
He began with an overview of the drone industry, stating that drones are a global industry with a complex chain that covers commercial and platform manufacturers, services, components, systems, and even conferences and events, media news, and more.
According to InVision, the global drone market will reach $58 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 18.35 per cent . By 2026, the global civilian market will reach $55.8 billion. The global drone market is predominantly located in Asia, North Africa and Europe.At the end of 2022, there were more than 2 million drones registered in the United States. More than half of them are used for recreational or model drones. We can see that especially in the last decade, the industry regulatory system has been improving, especially in the United States and China.
The drone market is gradually focusing on specific sectors such as energy, construction and agriculture. The three most common methods of application are mapping, surveillance and aerial photography. Military use is gaining popularity, with logistics and transport and emergency rescue becoming the trend. In China, five major UAV market applications are developing. The top five are agriculture, forestry and plant protection.
Commercial drones, including DJI, are revolutionising all commercial and industrial systems, paving the way for smart operations to improve production. However, manufacturers of batteries for drones still face a number of challenges, including setup, systems, complexity, prolonged testing, and changing safety regulations. Lithium polymer and lithium ion batteries are the most commonly used batteries in China. They are lighter, denser and last longer than conventional batteries. Li-ion batteries differ from conventional batteries in terms of weight, density and lifetime. Memory effect plays a very important role in batteries.
Rao Hui, Senior Engineer at the Wuhan Rules & Research Institute, China Classification Society, presented a comprehensive analysis of the safety risks associated with battery-powered ships and the necessary countermeasures to ensure safe and reliable operations. She mainly focused on three aspects: application and technical specifications of battery-powered ships, special risks of battery-powered ships and safety research carried out in co-operation with the Chinese industry, and risk countermeasures for battery-powered ships.
China Classification Society (CSS) is one of the full members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) and the only professional organisation in China engaged in classification and inspection of ships, mainly undertaking classification inspection, impartial inspection, forensic inspection and authorised statutory inspection of domestic and foreign ships, offshore installations, containers and related industrial products, etc. CSS set up the Safety Laboratory of New Energy and Green Technology for On-water Application in 2023, focusing on the research of research on new energy applications on board ships, including lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and various alternative fuels for ship power. They have been developing technical standards for battery-powered ships since 2014, and have updated and upgraded them over the years based on industry experience, and released the latest Code of Practice for Battery Power for Ship Applications this year.
Currently, there are more than 300 lithium battery-powered ships in China, using lithium-ion batteries as the sole or partial propulsion power, operating mainly in inland waters and offshore harbours. The main risks faced by lithium battery-powered ships come from fire or explosion due to thermal runaway of the batteries, as well as the possibility of the ship losing some or all of its power.
To cope with these risks, CSS proposes a series of solutions, including the installation of thermal runaway warning and fire prevention and control devices inside the battery pack to achieve very early detection of thermal runaway of the battery and precise suppression of fire. At the same time, the reliability of the power distribution system is enhanced through equipment redundancy and series of protection requirements to prevent ships from losing power.
CSS is establishing a digital auxiliary inspection system based on intelligent and digital technologies to provide auxiliary support for product inspection and ship operation inspection by monitoring and analysing the operating status of the battery system, power distribution system and propulsion system, as well as providing a remote inspection method. These efforts aim to address the risks and safety issues of battery-powered ships and ensure their safe and reliable operation.
Dr. Wei He, the Principal researcher of Equinor ASA in Norway, shared her professional insights on Installations, Operations, and the Challenges of Marine Batteries on Vessels. She presented the latest results from an on-going project NEMOSHIP (New modular Electrical architecture and digital platform to Optimise large battery systems on SHIPs) which involves 11 partners from six European countries. The project encompasses two innovations: the first one is the development of a new type of integrated power and energy battery, and the second innovation is data-driven, utilizing big data from installed ship batteries installed on vessels. Dr. He also presented the concept of a floating charging station and one recent Equinor’s patent publication combining electric power supply/charging and fuel refuelling using subsea structure. There are many increasing challenges for the batteries installed on vessels including safety, battery charging/sweep equipment, and further CO2 reduction. To pursue both environmental and economic benefits, further R&D is urged to explore the second-life cross sectors: e.g., marine batteries reused as stationary energy storage for national and micro-grids.
SHIFTR’s co-founder, Karolina Adolfsson, showcased an innovative battery swapping robot specifically designed for zero-emission fast boat operations. This robot enables fast ferries to become electrified within a short time frame through its ease of modification, with batteries stored in containers on the deck, eliminating the need for large battery rooms within the vessel. By continuously charging, the ship can achieve unlimited range while reducing the charging power and peak charging demand required for the batteries.
For operators, SHIFTR (Shift Robot) increases uptime and revenue profitability by eliminating downtime for fast ferries. Unlike car ferries, which have the potential for extended charging periods, fast ferries require continuous operation with limited opportunities for extended charging. SHIFTR allows batteries to be swapped during passenger embarkation and disembarkation, ensuring the original route and schedule remains unchanged.
SHIFTR is suitable for continuous operation routes, including commuting scenarios and long-distance routes. The cost and time required to convert existing vessels to electric operations is only half of what is needed for new builds. The battery containers have a standard 1 MWh capacity, the total capacity onboard the vessel can be scaled by adding battery containers and always use the best available battery technology without being limited by any specific supplier.
Currently, SHIFTR AS has established itself as an independent entity with established production facilities and testing infrastructure. The system consists of extendable arms, a carousel logistics system, and integrated plugs and sensors, enabling quick battery swapping within three minutes.
She concluded that SHIFTR provides a seamless solution for transitioning to electric operations for fast ferries, contributing to the shift towards zero emissions.
Michiel Smit, Business Development Manager of Zero Emission Services, delivered a keynote address on A system change to power clean inland shipping corridors. Zero Emission Services offers modular energy container technology, enabling zero-emission navigation by swapping empty batteries for fully charged ones. They focus on implementing this technology in the Dutch inland shipping sector, which has signed a Green Maritime Agreement and set a goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Zero Emission Services was established in 2021 by Rotterdam Port, Wärtsilä, ING Bank, and ENGIE (now known as EBRUSCO). They have developed standardized modular energy containers called ZESPEX and charging infrastructure, allowing customers to pay only for asset usage without investing in expensive onboard batteries.
The company has already implemented this technology on the Alfina vessel, which sails between two terminals located between Alphen aan de Rijn and Moerdijk. Currently, the ship utilizes first-generation ZESPEX, but the next-generation 2.0 ZESPEX will enable longer-distance sailing on a single ZESPEX.
In addition to collaborating with container terminals, Zero Emission Services is also conducting feasibility studies with dry bulk terminals like Tata Steel. Their technology is technologically agnostic, potentially adopting other solutions such as hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen storage in the future. The charging system features an open access network and interface, allowing all vessels meeting standards to use the batteries.
By leveraging local energy production sources like solar panels and wind turbines, Zero Emission Services’ charging stations can power ships, terminal equipment, shore power, and trucks. They are focusing on important container terminal corridors in the Netherlands and Belgium and plan to expand to Antwerp, Ghent, and Duisburg in Germany.
The company is signing contracts with multiple terminals, upgrading multiple vessels, and has already secured a commercial contract for a new ship. One of their challenges is network congestion, which they aim to address through battery storage implementation. Besides addressing short and medium-range pendulum operations, they are also researching shorter C-type operational cases. He summary that, Zero Emission Services aims to facilitate rapid entry into energy transition for its clients, reduce CO2 emissions, and promote clean development in the inland shipping industry through its innovative modular energy container technology and pay-per-use model.
Tang Wenjun, Vice President of Wuhan Changjiang Ship Design Institute Co., Ltd, presented Electric Ship Typical Projects in China.
He said that under the drive of “double carbon”, China’s electric ship industry ushered in rapid growth. Countries began to develop electric ships, the development of foreign countries earlier, the development of domestic electric ships later, but the gradual maturation of related technologies, battery cost reduction, the industry ushered in a period of opportunity for development, all kinds of ship manufacturers, battery manufacturers have entered the game, the first pure lithium batteries since the launch of the first ship in 2017, and then continue to expand the application of the market, the development trend since 2020 to show the acceleration of the development trend. Currently, electric cruise ships on China’s inland lakes and rivers are becoming more common, with about 350 vessels, including 70 large ships and offshore vessels.
He raised the bottlenecks in China’s electric ship technology development. For example, the weight and volume of batteries are large, which has a large impact on the ship’s displacement and layout space, resulting in limited capacity of loaded batteries and restricted range. The weight and size of the propulsion motor, power distribution system and battery required for high speed are large; it is difficult for conventional small-scale ships to meet the requirements.
Battery compartment opening, fire fighting, ventilation and other configuration requirements have a greater impact on the ship’s shape and arrangement.
Marine battery capacity is large, high rate rapid charging demand charging power, the impact on the power grid, high security risk.
He cited some typical cases of Chinese electric ships, such as the electric official ship – Sea Patrol 12931, electric city cruise ship – Changhang Group “Yangtze River Glory”, electric inter-area cruise ship – “Yangtze River Glory”, and electric city cruise ship – “Yangtze River Glory”. Three Gorges 1, electric power exchange container ship – “Jiangyuan Lily”, electric power exchange cargo ship – “Three Gorges 1”, electric power exchange container ship – “Jiangyuan Lily”, electric power exchange container ship – “Jiangyuan Lily”, and electric power exchange container ship – “Jiangyuan Lily”. Electric cargo ship – “Hong Kong Shipping Shipway 01”, electric power exchange collection and distribution ship – Hanjiang River “HUAHANG XINNERGY 1 The electric container ship and the hydrogen fuel cell-powered “Three Gorges Hydrogen Ship” are also in the pipeline. The electric container ship and the hydrogen fuel cell-powered “Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1”. These electric ships have played an important role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, improving energy efficiency and promoting the development of electric ship technology.
Finally, he concluded that electric ships need to be improved in terms of safety and control, operation economy, product versatility, equipment localisation, charging and switching infrastructure, standardisation and emergency management. Regarding the future development trend of electric ships, he believes that from the electric ship: adapted to small and medium-sized ships, short and medium distance range, fixed routes; waters: suitable for inland rivers, lakes, closed waters and coastal areas; ship type: suitable for inter-area cruise ships, official ships, port for ships, short and medium distance cargo ships, etc.; power form: pure electric, parallel hybrid, series hybrid. In general, China’s electric boat industry is developing steadily, with great potential and prospects.