Hypobatt: hyper powered vessel battery charging system

Towards a more sustainable and competitive shipping sector

Business Period Project Coordinator Funding Scheme
Marine June 2022 -November 2025 IKERLAN S.COOP Horizon Europe

Challenge

Maritime transport emits around 940 million tons of CO2 annually and is responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In line with the temperature goals agreed under the Paris Agreement, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce total annual GHG emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008.

The European Commission also adopted a series of legislative proposals to deliver the European Green Deal, the so called ‘Fit for 55’ package, to reduce GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and become the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050 (net zero emission scenario) . 

One of the useful solutions to pursue this goal is the electrification of ships and the use of batteries as a propulsion energy source on board, to eliminate or reduce (depending on the applications) the use of fossil fuels, which are the main source of GHG emissions.

HYPOBATT will deliver a modular and fast multi-MW battery recharging system, minimizing the required connection time, the charging time, the number of components and costs, and contributing to further favor the use of batteries for the propulsion of ships.

Approach

RINA mainly contributes to HYPOBATT through the development of a regulatory framework applicable to hyper powered vessel battery charging systems, bridging the existing gaps towards their implementation, as a contribution to the decarbonization of shipping, in line with the EC targets and the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport strategic research and implementation agenda.

We will provide the analysis of the current regulatory framework, as a baseline applicable to ship-to-shore power connection, guiding all partners in the design, development and demonstration of the innovative solutions. The initial analysis will be supplemented by improvements derived from the verification of compliance of the developed solutions. 

In a later stage of the project, the lessons learnt will be summarized, drafting recommendations for the evolution of the regulatory framework and standards.

So, we will facilitate the development of the hyper recharging systems in port, by identifying standardized and modular interfaces ship-shore, supplementing the current regulatory framework available for cold ironing.

The goal is to facilitate the functions and activities of the standardization organizations (IEC, ISO…) with appropriate considerations of functions, technologies, components, procedures, modularity, logistic and handling, monitoring systems, safety systems (fire, electrical…), power flow, communication, simulation, maintenance, digital/automation systems, (cyber)security, human element aspects and training of personnel. 

Conclusion

HYPOBATT will deliver a modular, fast, and easy multi-MW recharging system demonstrated in two European ports with fast turnaround times. The project will assess the end-to-end services between both ports, and compatibility with other ports.

The charging system will be designed to achieve interoperability and compatibility with different electric ships, grid constraints, components, modularity, logistic and handling, monitoring and safety systems, power flow, maintenance, digitalization/automation, cybersecurity, and human element aspects.

The standardization of the charging modules, the interfaces, and the communication protocol, will scale up the charger based on and on/offshore sides; flexibility of power levels will be addressed and the impacts on the electrical grid infrastructure and on the battery degradation during fast charging will be minimized.

Finally, the project contributes towards the reduction of the environmental footprint leading to a more sustainable and competitive shipping, hence pursuing efforts towards achieving CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement goals and the reduction of the total annual greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. 

Project Consortium

1. IKERLAN S. COOP (Project Coordinator) - Spain 2. HELIOX BV - Netherlands 3. FUNDACION DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA PARA LA INVESTIGACION, PROMOCION Y ESTUDIOS COMERCIALES DE VALENCIAPORT - Spain 4. RINA Services S.p.a. - Italy 5.  RELIABILITY AND SAFETY TECHNICAL CENTER - Belgium 6. BRUSSELS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTER FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES - Brussels 7. FUNDACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO SOERMAR  - Spain 8. FLANDERS MAKE - Belgium. 9. IMECAR ELEKTRONIK SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI - Turkey 10. COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES - France 11.  RHOE - Greece 12. STEMMANN-TECHNIK GMBH - Germany 13. TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE INGOLSTADT - Germany 14. FUNDACJA MOTUS - Poland 15. AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT REEDEREI NORDEN- FRISIA - Germany 16. DAMEN RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION BV - Netherlands 17. OTASKI ENERGY SOLUTIONS LTD - UK 18. UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE - UK

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Edoardo Morea