Danish container line Maersk is to trial a battery in a box system to cut CO2 emissions.
The company said the containerised 600 kWh marine battery kit will be installed on the 4,496-teu Maersk Cape Town (built 2011) next month to improve performance and reduce its carbon footprint.
“This trial will provide a greater understanding of energy storage that will support Maersk in moving towards further electrification of its fleet and port terminals. Maersk will continue to facilitate, test, and develop low-carbon solutions on our journey to become carbon neutral by 2050,” said COO Soren Toft.
Running these kinds of vessels solely on batteries is years away, but the box system can help auxiliary generators run at a more optimal load, while allowing them to shut down if not needed, saving fuel, the company said.
It will also support the generators with up to 1,800 kVA of power during rapid changes in electrical load such as thruster operation.
Maersk Cape Town also includes a waste heat recovery system, together with many other Maersk container vessels.
“This exciting pilot – the first of its kind in the industry - will show the potential of battery technologies to keep improving the performance of our vessels while also reducing fuel consumption in our non-propulsion electrical systems,” added Ole Graa, Maersk head of fleet technology.
The kit has been made in Odense, Denmark, by Trident Maritime Systems.
The vessel sails between West Africa and East Asia.
