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Pacific Green Technologies: Why lithium-ion battery storage is a great fit for shipping

The ferry industry might not seem like a major transportation sector, in reality it is as big as commercial aviation, transporting more than 2.1 billion people a year.
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Gareth Dauley, Executive Vice President at scrubber technology firm Pacific Green Technologies Inc (PGTK) Battery Storage on Monday (4 January) published a summary on why lithium-ion battery storage is a commercially viable solution to zero carbon shipping considering the current volatility of the alternative fuels market:

Shipping poses a particular challenge from an energy transition point of view. The maritime transportation sector emits more than a billion tons of carbon dioxide a year and accounts for around 2.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions a year, set to increase by up to 250% by 2050.

Unlike activities such as electricity generation, the carbon emissions from shipping are hard to avoid. Maritime transport belongs to a group of sectors, also including aviation and cement production, that cannot easily switch to renewable power generation to reduce carbon emissions.

Sailboats aside, maritime transport requires fuel. Traditionally, this has been obtained from the heaviest fractions of oil, which are highly polluting.

Concerns over sulfur emissions have led the International Maritime Organization to enforce reductions that have often required the use of scrubbers.

However, dealing with shipping’s carbon footprint will take a move away from bunker fuel—and batteries could play a key role, in at least two ways. The first is to allow for full-scale electrification of certain types of maritime transport.

Ships that travel short distances, for instance on ferry routes, can effectively become carbon neutral by using batteries for motive power and recharging them with renewable energy when at port.

This strategy is already being embraced by operators such as Washington State Ferries, which runs the world’s second-largest ferry system and is Washington’s biggest diesel polluter.

Ships that travel short distances, for instance on ferry routes, can effectively become carbon neutral by using batteries for motive power and recharging them with renewable energy when at port.

Last year, the company began an electrification program that will ultimately see it reducing carbon emissions from the consumption of 20 million gallons of diesel across a 22-vessel fleet. A spokesman for the ferry company has said the move will save “millions of dollars annually.”

Because ferry electrification can deliver up to 100% fuel savings today, a study by DNV GL for the European Maritime Safety Agency in May 2020 calculated batteries could achieve a payback time of less than five years for the sector.

Ferry electrification does not only need vessels to be equipped with battery systems, but also will likely require quayside batteries to optimize recharging times since smaller ports may lack the grid infrastructure for rapid charging.

Furthermore, the energy storage requirements for ferry electrification are likely to be significant. Although the ferry industry might not seem like a major transportation sector, in reality it is as big as commercial aviation, transporting more than 2.1 billion people a year.

For ocean-going vessels, meanwhile, batteries could still play an important part in decarbonization even though long-term solutions will require the use of alternative fuels such as biofuels, green hydrogen or ammonia.

The deployment of these alternative fuels is still in its infancy and there is no consensus on which fuel might become the ultimate replacement for bunker crude.

Photo credit: Pacific Green Technologies
Published: 6 January, 2020

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure.
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July 21, 2026

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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CIMC SOE) recently signed a contract with Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 12,000-cubic metre (m3) LNG bunkering vessel, according to Chinese maritime media.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will support Sinopec’s efforts to expand its presence in the marine clean energy sector.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s LNG bunkering infrastructure.

With this signing , CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering’s LNG bunkering vessel orderbook is further strengthened, maintaining its leading position in the global market for small and medium-sized LNG bunkering vessels.

The contract also marked another milestone for CIMC SOE, which has seen a sharp increase in orders and business performance this year amid a surge in domestic LNG vessel demand.

 

Photo credit: Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Nuclear

ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

KRISO says AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.
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July 21, 2026

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ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) on Thursday (16 July) received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its concept design of a 15,000 TEU Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-powered container ship utilising Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology.

KRISO said the AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.

“This achievement demonstrates international recognition of KRISO’s technological capabilities in the rapidly evolving field of nuclear-powered shipping, supporting the transition toward low-carbon maritime transport,” it said. 

Building on this milestone, KRISO will continue advancing basic and detailed ship design, paving the way for future demonstration and commercialisation of SMR-powered vessels. 

Through continued R&D and international collaboration, KRISO remains committed to strengthening next-generation maritime technologies and contributing to the safe deployment of nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry.

 

Photo credit: Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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