Page 22: of Marine News Magazine (January 2025)

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Propulsion lution to deliver performance and sustainability,” he said. integrator try to customize products to each operator’s needs

Battery-powered, alternative-to-diesel power is fed into and potential. Hybrid systems, all-electric vessels, or other fu- these systems for docking, idle time, and other lag times. els, we’re making the maritime industry more sustainable.”

Schwarz emphasized automation and energy manage- The green advantages of electri? ed ferries go beyond ment to optimize processes and be sustainable. Siemens reductions in global greenhouse gases. Besides this, local

Energy’s power management solutions manage energy de- levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and livery, monitoring, and balancing the grid so generators particulate matter (common in large port cities) can also only start when needed and batteries kick in when neces- be radically lowered. Schwarz cited a US ferry electri? ca- sary. “The automation system responds on its own to the tion project to illustrate how large-scale use of such tech- vessel’s energy demands, and then the captain can worry nologies could clean the air in port cities.

about navigating and staying safe while the system takes As passengers’ ferries come under pressure from local, state, care of the work in the background,” Schwarz explained. and federal authorities to decarbonize, the shipyard is in for a signi? cant change. Schwarz underscored Siemens’ holistic

Domestic Ferries: Charting the Path Forward electri? cation strategy. “We think about systems integration

As the marine sector shifts to decarbonization, Siemens En- as the full propulsion system,” he said. “Be it power genera- ergy leads the charge. The company is deploying BlueDrive tion, energy storage, propulsion, or automation – we build

PlusC, BlueVault, and hydrogen fuel cells to give ferry op- solutions tailored to the speci? c requirements of every ship.” erators the tools they need to stay abreast of changing regula- By consulting with owners and naval architects, a system that’s tions, meet sustainability targets, and do all of that safely. All not only cost-effective, also but future-proof can be achieved.

that said, “There is no single ‘one size ? ts all’ approach to de- For example, the recent TxDOT project highlights the carbonizing ferries,” Schwarz insists, adding, “We as a systems Siemens Energy strategy. In this project, the company par-

Automated assembly of BlueVault Energy

Storage modules in

Siemens Energy’s factory in Norway.

Siemens Energy 22 | MN January 2025

Marine News

Marine News is the premier magazine of the North American Inland, coastal and Offshore workboat markets.