Bundle of energy
Work is under way to introduce a fleet of emission-free waterway transport vessels employing a blend of novel technologies. David Tinsley reports
entrepreneurial Dutch company. Huissen-based Port-Liner Holding has
A
implemented plans for battery-powered, zero-emission barges designed to trade on the northwest European waterway network. Te E-PortLiner flotilla will serve scheduled operations between inland terminals and deep-sea ports in the Amsterdam/ Rotterdam/Antwerp (ARA) range. Although Port-Liner Holding’s primary
focus is on battery-electric propulsion, the company is also eyeing possibilities with regard to hydrogen fuel. The liquid organic hydrogen carrier
(LOHC) system proposed by H2-Industries of Germany is regarded as an ideal fit with the Dutch firm’s core battery technology. This could lead to a battery/hydrogen powering configuration, suitable not only for newbuilds but for retrofit applications. Port-Liner Holding tells Ship & Boat
International that while it is actively engaged in work on the LOHC solution, the immediate aim is to realise the E-PortLiner concept with battery-electric propulsion. The envisaged programme involves two sizes of container barge – of 52m and 110m in length, respectively.
Portable E-Powerboxes Core to the E-PortLiner is a containerised battery system, known as the E-Powerbox, designed for easy re-charging by cable at berth – or, alternatively, for exchange aſter discharge with a fully charged unit. Initially, the standard E-Powerbox was
attributed with a rating of 1.6MW, and it was calculated that a 110m barge with four E-Powerboxes would have an operating radius of about 23 hours, or 230km. Te first barge to enter service will have
four E-Powerboxes and, furthermore, there has been an advance in power ratings: “With our current technology, it will be 2MW per E-Powerbox,” the group tells Ship & Boat International. Vessel construction will take place at Shipyard Millingen, and
initial deliveries are expected in Q2 2019. Te portable E-Powerboxes will be stored aſt under the vessel’s specially designed elevating wheelhouse. Trough the EU’s Connecting Europe
Facility (CEF), a grant of €6.8 million (US$7.7 million) was approved to support the development of the first series of E-Powerboxes, amounting to 49 units. In addition, the Port of Antwerp awarded €200,000 (US$227,000) for the development of a regular service between an intermodal terminal in the southern Netherlands and Antwerp using Port-Liner barges, estimated to save 23,000 truck movements per year. Anticipated route coverage by the new
fleet will include the German inland hub of Duisburg, on the Rhine, and Tilburg, on the Netherlands’ Wilhelminakanaal.
liuid benefits Meanwhile, Port-Liner Holding is cooperating with H2-Industries to develop an all-electric inland vessel employing the LOHC system. A pilot vessel, developed primarily for testing purposes but with additional scope for commercial operations, is due to be ready by the end of 2019. Te higher storage capacity and energy
density of LOHC powering, relative to that of batteries, will meet specific demands for greater endurance to cover longer transport distances, and is potentially applicable to sea-going as well as inland vessels. LOHC is an oil-like liquid that binds hydrogen through a chemical process,
Ship & Boat International January/February 2019
allowing hydrogen storage without the need for refrigeration or pressurisation and enabling the hydrogen energy to be released on demand. Hydrogen released from the LOHC liquid is converted into electricity, using an integrated fuel cell, powering electric motors for propulsion. LOHC is flame-retardant and
non-explosive. Containerised storage in four 20ſt units is claimed to provide a power reserve about 20 times greater than batteries of the same volume. The organic oil-like substance can
be stored and transported in the same way as diesel. With the LOHC system, the substance can also be charged with hydrogen as oſten as required. Te fuelling solution enables virtually
silent, vibration-free electric motor propulsion and onboard power generation, eliminating CO2, NOx, particulate matter (PM) and soot emissions. H2-Industries
is also collaborating
with German shipbuilder Nobiskrug on the construction of the first all-electric motor yacht based on the LOHC system. Te craſt is designed for a range of over 1,000nm and a cruising speed of 10knots, and will incorporate solar panels to augment energy delivery. In a further pact, Lloyd’s Register and
H2-Industries are working to develop safety standards for all-electric vessels using LOHC technology. Tis extends to all ship types, and embraces refuelling, storage onboard, and the power generation process. SBI
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new generation of all-electric, inland container barges is under development by an
A pilot version of the all-electric E-PortLiner barge employing H2
-Industries’ liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology is due to be completed by the end of 2019
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