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Berlin’s Mayor Franziska Giffey christens world’s first emission-free pusher boat “ELEKTRA”

“ELEKTRA” is the first pusher boat worldwide where a battery-electric drive will be combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology, says Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing.

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NOW GmbH (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) on Monday (16 May) said Mayor Franziska Giffey christened the ELEKTRA - the world’s first pusher boat where a battery-electric drive will be combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology - in Berlin’s Westhafen. 

After almost two years of construction at the Hermann Barthel GmbH shipyard in Derben and transfer to the Westhafen in Berlin, the long-term testing of the emission-free pusher boat can finally begin, it said.

Petra Cardinal, Managing Director of BEHALA – Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH, welcomed the approximately 250 guests who had gathered at Harbour Basin II to commemorate the occasion.

They included many representatives from politics and public authorities as well as project partners and suppliers, the project executing organisation and the project coordinator, the port industry and various associations, press and members of the supervisory board and staff.

In his opening remarks, Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing talked about the significance of hydrogen mobility for achieving the climate protection goals of the federal government. 

“The ELEKTRA is a lighthouse project: It is the first pusher boat worldwide where a battery-electric drive will be combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The entire project is a blueprint for climate- and environmentally-friendly inland shipping and is a true pioneering achievement not just technically, but also in terms of regulation,” he said. 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerd Holbach, overall project manager from the Technical University Berlin, briefly explained the overall project, the concept and the construction design for the innovative pusher boat.

Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, uttered the phrase: “I hereby christen you ELEKTRA, wish the crew a safe journey and always a hand’s breadth of water under your keel” and christened the ship. 

She added: “The world’s first emission-free pusher boat is the impressive result of the collaboration of those in shipbuilding as well as energy and propulsion technology.”

“I am particularly pleased that much of the Berlin inventor spirit has been incorporated into the development and construction of ELEKTRA.”

“This lighthouse project is an ideal showcase for how innovative ideas can succeed in improving the climate over the long-term on our waterways. Berlin wants to be a pioneer in this area.”

Dr. Corinna Barthel from the Barthel shipyard congratulated the godmother with a bouquet and spoke about the special features of the construction of the ELEKTRA.

The Managing Director (Chair) of NOW GmbH, Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff added: “The ELEKTRA is already a role model for more new ship builds and for that alone, is already a huge success story for the funding strategy of the BMDV.”

“Considering their service lives of 50 years and beyond, the transition to climate-friendly propulsion systems in shipping must now be accelerated.”

The companies BEHALA – Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft (logistics), the Hermann Barthel shipyard, BALLARD Power Systems (fuel cells), Argo-Anleg (hydrogen system), SER Schiffselektronik Rostock (electric energy system), EST-Floattech (battery system) and HGK Shipping (nautical operation) participated as partners in the development, construction and testing of the ELEKTRA.

As the first zero-emission ship, the ELEKTRA will serve as a role model, because this energy system is conceived in such a way as to make it transferable to many types of inland waterway and coastal ships.

It is not only energy provision for the ship’s propulsion and the pushing of the pusher units that is needed, but also power for the crew, who live, cook and wash on board. 

Furthermore, energy must be provided for temperature control of the rooms and the wheelhouse. The batteries also need a certain ‘comfort temperature’ for efficient operation and a long service life. This must all function with limited carried energy and without losing range.

With 750 kg of usable gaseous hydrogen at 500 bars on board and a battery capacity of approx. 2,500 kilowatt hours, the ship has a range of approx. 400 kilometres in a pushed convoy with the loaded heavy freight lighter, URSUS. 

Therefore, along the shipping routes of Berlin towards Rhine/Ruhr, Hamburg and Stettin, there will only be one additional shore station required to provide ELEKTRA with hydrogen and electricity aside from Westhafen. In all, convoys of up to 150m long can be driven.

Initially, testing will for the most part, take place in the capital region. From 2023, testing will then increasingly be conducted in long-distance transport in the direction of Hamburg.

With a total project volume of approx. EUR 14.6 million (USD 15.43 million), the project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in the amount of approx. EUR 9.1 million and supervised and coordinated by Project Management Jülich (PtJ) and the National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW).

 

Photo credit: NOW GmbH
Published: 20 May, 2022

 

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LR MDH joins call to accelerate adoption of zero-emission bunker fuels by 2030

Call to action organised by RMI, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, the UCL Energy Institute, and the United Nations Foundation.

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LR MDH joins call to accelerate adoption of zero emission fuels by 2030

Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH) on Tuesday (12 November) joined more than 50 firms across the spectrum of the shipping value chain — e-fuel producers, vessel and cargo owners, ports, and equipment manufacturers — in signing a Call to Action today at COP 29 to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission marine fuels.

Organised by RMI, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, the UCL Energy Institute, and the United Nations Foundation, the Call to Action demonstrates strong industry momentum to invest in decarbonisation through scalable zero-emission marine fuel pathways.

The joint statement calls for faster and bolder action to increase zero and near-zero emissions fuel uptake, investment in zero-emissions vessels, and global development of green hydrogen infrastructure, leaving no country behind.

James Forsdyke, Managing Director of LR MDH, said: “We are proud to be part of this initiative dedicated to expand the production of green hydrogen as a marine fuel or as an enabler for synthetic zero to near-zero carbon fuels. One of the biggest tasks ahead of us is developing a robust and reliable green hydrogen supply chain to deliver zero carbon fuels to vessels in key maritime hubs in ways that are safe, sustainable and that benefit all shipping stakeholders, particularly seafarers and port communities.

“In line with the Lloyd's Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub's mission to accelerate the safe, sustainable, and human-centric transition of the maritime industry, we have spearheaded initiatives like the Silk Alliance green corridor cluster and Maritime Fuel Supply Dialogues, to aggregate first mover efforts at a regional level and create stronger infrastructure for green hydrogen projects. Being part of this call to action reinforces our commitment to advance the use of hydrogen produced from renewable resources as an important tool in decarbonising shipping.”

In anticipation of this regulatory milestone, the signatories outline several key recommendations to expedite the adoption of hydrogen-derived fuels, namely the need for clear, ambitious mid-term measures; a balanced approach to revenue distribution to help bridge the cost gap between fossil fuels and scalable zero-emission fuels (SZEFs); and evidence that key milestones for practical use of SZEFs are advancing.

To align with a 1.5°C pathway, global green hydrogen production must double by 2030, translating to the uptake of at least 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen in the shipping sector. To accomplish this, coordinated action is needed across the supply chain to expand the supply and adoption of zero or near zero-emission shipping fuels such as e-ammonia and e-methanol, build up the ecosystem synergistically, and deliver on a just and equitable transition.

Close collaboration between green hydrogen producers, shipping actors, and policymakers is vital to securing the enabling conditions and investments that will deliver shipping’s clean energy transition.

“The Green Hydrogen Catapult is proud to support this initiative. Collaboration across the maritime value chain is key to an accelerated, just, and equitable transition of the sector to renewable fuels, and partnerships are key to building and maintaining momentum,” said Oleksiy Tatarenko, the leader of RMI’s hydrogen initiatives and the Green Hydrogen Catapult, a coalition of green hydrogen market leaders promoting the aggressive global adoption of green hydrogen.

Ports and port service companies, alongside financiers, have also added their support to the Call to Action, committing to investing in hydrogen-derived fuel infrastructure and safety projects to support bunkering of e-fuels.

 

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub
Published: 13 November 2024

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Alternative Fuels

IMO advances training for seafarers on LNG-fuelled ships

Subregional ‘train-the-trainer’ workshop focused on seafarers onboard LNG-fuelled ships subject to the IGF Code.

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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Monday (11 November) said seafarer trainers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam were put through their paces for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled ships with advanced simulator and practical training at a workshop in Ashiya and Yokosuka, Japan.

The subregional "train-the-trainer" workshop (30 October to 6 November) focused on seafarers onboard LNG-fuelled ships subject to the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).

The workshop is part of IMO efforts to ensure seafarers are well-equipped to operate LNG-fuelled ships safely and effectively. The workshop included three major components: classroom lectures; LNG bunkering simulator trainings at the Marine Technical College in Ashiya, Japan, and advanced emergency responses exercises at the Maritime Disaster Prevention Centre (MDPC) in Yokosuka, Japan.

The participants gained hands-on experience with LNG bunkering simulators. They learned how to use Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gas detector, emergency measures for LNG leakage, low-temperature brittleness, as well as fire control, extinguishing agents and firefighting procedures and in particular, LNG (stored and supplied in -162 °C) had been utilised during the exercises.

The nine trainers gained knowledge and experience, and were ready to take the skills back to their own training institutions, to enhance their programmes and strengthen training capacity for seafarers on LNG and other alternative-fuelled vessels.

The workshop was based on the requirements under the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention and Code, taking into account model courses 7.13 and 714 on the Basic and Advanced training for masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on ships subject to the IGF Code.

In accordance with regulation V/3 of the STCW Convention, every candidate for a certificate in advanced training for service on ships subject to the IGF Code shall have completed at least one month of approved seagoing service that includes a minimum of three bunkering operations on board ships subject to the IGF Code. Two of the three bunkering operations may be replaced by approved simulator training on bunkering operations.

The workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism of Japan and the IMO Secretariat, under IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), with sponsorship from the Nippon Foundation and support from the Japan Ship Technology Research Association and the Japan Agency of Maritime Education and Training for Seafarers.

The IMO Secretariat is collaborating closely with Member States and international organizations to advance training of seafarers operating LNG-fuelled and other alternative-fuelled ships, supporting the maritime industry's need for skilled and qualified personnel.

 

Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 13 November 2024

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Alternative Fuels

Singapore: A*STAR advances safety in handling of future marine fuels

Funds project to develop tool to predict the dispersion of ammonia and methanol in the event of accidental leakages during bunkering operations.

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Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) on Thursday (7 November) awarded funding to a bunkering project at the 14th edition of the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) Forum.

The project, titled Dispersion Analysis and Simulations for Handling (DASH) of Future Fuels, is led and hosted by A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing (A*STAR IHPC).

This joint initiative includes other A*STAR research institutes and public research partners such as CNRS@CREATE, the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), and the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The project focuses on developing a multi-fidelity planning tool to predict the dispersion of ammonia and methanol in the event of accidental leakages during bunkering operations.

Essentially, the tool will integrate dispersion analysis, consequence simulations, and real-time environmental data to create a safety and risk management system that provides insights into the behaviour of these next-generation fuels.

The developed tool will be used to develop effective preventive measures, emergency response strategies, and mitigation plans for such scenarios.

“A*STAR IHPC is dedicated to developing next-generation tools to improve the design and safety of multi-fuel bunkering operations,” said Dr Su Yi, Executive Director of A*STAR IHPC.

“Through close collaboration with our partners, we aim to equip industry stakeholders with advanced simulation tools that assess potential leak scenarios and enhance safety planning, operations, and emergency response.

“This enables more informed, strategic decision-making that supports the maritime sector’s journey toward safer, more sustainable fuel solutions,”

Dr Chen Xinwei, Deputy Executive Director of SMI added, “Decarbonisation and sustainability are critical challenges facing the maritime industry.”

“SMI is pleased to support the DASH project with funding, highlighting our commitment to advancing the safe handling of alternative fuels – an essential step in achieving the sector’s decarbonisation objectives.”

 

Photo credit: Singapore Maritime Institute
Published: 11 November 2024

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