said Johan Inden, president of the Volvo Penta marine business unit. “Innovation comes from being able to understand the use case and then being able to design for it. This boat was designed for the Arctic waters of Svalbard but how would this hybrid solution need to be different than just another drivetrain? Those weren’t answers that we had when we began the initial conversations, but we’re committed to testing and learning what can work anywhere and everywhere. If we’re not trying, we’re not going to get there.”
Getting there is related to a bigger goal of the organization. Part of larger Volvo Group, Volvo Penta’s vision is to become a world leader in sustainable power solutions, with a vision to be a net-zero emissions company by 2050. Their full-systems approach is not just about more sustainability but higher performance, which is the only way that vision for sustainability will become a reality. That means the technology has to not only create quantifiable efficiencies but be reliable in a very practical sense. The capability and reliability of this technology gets pushed to the limit in Svalbard.
“We’re operating in such a harsh environment, where everything has to work.” said Jonas Karnerfors, sales project manager at Volvo Penta from the deck of the Kvitbjørn. “We needed to think more carefully about the job to be done, which is why we knew we had to create something that would seamlessly shift between driving modes. That connects back to the experience though, because when the boat is operating silently it’s operating in a much more sustainable manner. If it works here it can work everywhere.”
Connecting innovation and sustainability isn’t just about technology though, as this project also marked the debut of an e-mobility-as-a-service’ model from Volvo Penta. Designed to soften what are otherwise very high upfront payments typically associated with electromobility solutions, the model will see Hurtigruten pay a monthly fee depending on how much they actually utilize the drivetrain, which is something the Volvo Penta team considered in great detail.
“The price of this technology is higher so we knew we needed to better understand the business model,” Inden continued. “Is there a service model? Is there a rental model? We decided it’s not just a technology platform. It gives us a shared risk and joint responsibility. We are responsible to upgrade or make changes so we more fully determine how this can be used on commercial size. So we’re not only testing the technology with this but also testing brand new business models.”
Although it’s still at a concept stage, news about and developments related to this model could end up changing how these solutions are approached and adopted. If the cost isn’t what’s standing in the way of someone fully exploring the opportunities that are associated with hybrid-electric vessel technology, then what is? That’s the question this model will put squarely in front of owners and operators who might not be operating in the Arctic but will need to determine if the capability and reliability that hybrid technology has demonstrated makes sense for them this year and beyond.
Taking the long view of such challenges is easier to do in a place like Svalbard, where the stakes associated with decisions being made today can literally be experienced. Avoiding chunks of ice in electric mode makes all the difference in the world but it’s impossible to not think about the experiences that others can and will have in this same environment. Enabling those future experiences is something the Hurtigruten team is dedicated to, highlighting what it means to properly consider all the options that the technology represents.
A challenge to the maritime industry
The investment that Hurtigruten has made in hybrid technology is tied to the experiences they can now enable but also to ensure they aren’t behind the curve. Their customers expect and often push for greener solutions which has compelled them to set a benchmark that could soon become a new industry
standard. This sort of standard needs a collaboration between owners, users and stakeholders though and it isn’t about a specific piece of technology or use case. New technology changes behavior, and while this solution is specific to short, dedicated journeys, there’s a bigger push for it to be an enabler for many different types of commercial marine operations. What exactly that looks like will depends on how this technology can fit into a specific vessel or operation, which will require active collaboration that many are pushing to see.
“We want to challenge the industry with this solution,” Inden said. “That challenge isn’t about saying that hybrid solutions have to be adopted over the next two years or something prescriptive like that. Our challenge is about compelling vessel owners to really look at what they’re doing and work to transform an entire industry into something more sustainable that also make business sense for them. With new payment models we believe we can support this transformation that directly connects to being a net-zero emissions company by 2050. That isn’t our vision for the future, it’s our plan.”
Sitting less than 1,000 miles from the North Pole in a boat that is using electric power to maneuver through a field of ice, surrounded by wildlife that allows you to get right next to it, it’s simple enough to understand the stakes of that transformation, both in the short term and long term.
Just as the sign about polar bears mentioned though, properly preparing for a transition is on individuals. It’s the same whether you’re transitioning from the relative safety of Longyearbyen to the surrounding wilderness or changing from the relative stability that powering systems have provided to the maritime industry to incorporate hybrid options. Heeding the warnings of literal or figurative signs that call out these transitions all comes down to the choices that people do or don’t make with tools that are readily available to them.
The Report • September 2022 • Issue 101 | 91
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