Evaluation of the Lifecycle Environmental Benefits of Full Battery Powered Ships: Comparative Analysis of Marine Diesel and Electricity

Abstract

The paper aims to investigate the holistic environmental benefits of using a battery system on a roll on/roll off (ro-ro) passenger ship which was originally fitted with a diesel engine engaged in Korean coastal service. The process of this research has multiple layers. First, the operating profiles of the case ship were collected, such as speed, output, operation time and the configuration of the diesel propulsion system. Second, the full battery propulsion system, in place of the diesel system, was modelled and simulated on a power simulation software (PSIM) platform to verify the adequacy of the proposed battery propulsion system. Then, the life cycle assessment method was applied to comprehensively compare the environmental footprint of the diesel-mechanical and fully battery-powered vessels. A focus was placed on the life cycle of the energy sources consumed by the case ship in consideration of the South Korea’s current energy importation and production status. Three life cycle stages were considered in the analysis: ‘production’, ‘transport’ and ‘use’. With the aid of Sphera GaBi Software Version 2019 and its extensive data library, the environmental impacts at the energy production and transport stages were evaluated, while the same impacts at the use stage were determined based on actual laboratory measurements. The environmental performance of the two scenarios in four impact categories was discussed: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP) and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP). Results of the comparative analysis are presented based on estimates of the overall reduction in the environmental impact potential, thereby demonstrating the overall benefits of using a battery driven propulsion, with a decrease of the GWP by 35.7%, the AP by 77.6%, the EP by 87.8% and the POCP by 77.2%. A series of sensitivity analyses, however, has delivered the important message that the integration of batteries with marine transportation means may not always be the best solution. The types of energy sources used for electricity generation will be a key factor in determining whether the battery technology can ultimately contribute to cleaner shipping or not. By casting doubts on the benefits of battery propulsion, this paper is believed to offer a meaningful insight into developing a proper road map for electrifying ship propulsion toward zero emission of shipping.

MPC Framework for the Energy Management of Hybrid Ships with an Energy Storage System

“…The momentary fuel consumption for the generator set and the main engine is given in Equations ( 13) and ( 14), correspondingly, and is present in the objective function of the OCP in Equation (31). The genset fuel consumption is only dependent on the demanded power from the generator P genset (see Appendix A), which is in the algebraic Equation (22). The main engine fuel consumption depends on the demanded main engine power, P DE, and the shaft speed n s , which is one of the three disturbances to the system.…”

“…An approach taking into account different impact categories, accurate measurements and the life-cycle (life cycle assessment) of the vessel is capable of providing full insight into the environmental benefits of shipboard battery systems. For example, in [22] a holistic investigation of a fully electric vessel highlights the critical contribution of energy generation and transportation in the overall environmental impact of electrified ships.…”

Review of the Design and Technology Challenges of Zero-Emission, Battery-Driven Fast Marine Vehicles

“…The given emission reduction values in Table 1 are assumed for 100% of the battery power, when the batteries are charged from shore. However, the prime source of energy for the shore electricity grid needs to be also taken into account (see [11], for a lifecycle environmental assessment). In the TrAM project Stavanger study case, the electricity grid is more than 90% covered by renewable hydropower.…”

Yeni Nesil, Modüler ve Akıllı Batarya Yönetim Sistemi

“…Elektrikli deniz araçlarını küçük ölçekli elektrikli botlardan uluslararası taşıma yapan elektrikli gemilere kadar farklı ölçeklerde incelemek mümkündür. Bu konuda yapılan derleme çalışmaları genel olarak sıfır emisyonlu sürdürülebilir taşımacılık, bununla bağlantılı olarak limanların elektrikli gemilere uygun hale getirilmesi ve bunun şebekeye etkileri başlıkları altında incelenmiştir (Anwar et al, 2020;Fang et al, 2020;Groppi et al, 2021;Jeong et al, 2020;Kumar & Zare, 2019;Ma et al, 2021;Mutarraf et al, 2018;Nguyen et al, 2020;Nuchturee et al, 2020;Pfeifer et al, 2020).…”