Page 23: of Marine News Magazine (January 2025)

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Siemens Energy’s BlueVault batteries use lithium- ion cells and are designed for safety and reliability, incorporating cooling and thermal runaway protection.

ticipated at the very beginning of the design to include hybrid propulsion with emission-reduction and safety and regulatory compliance. “This ferry recharges its batteries at night and operates with generators and battery power dur-

Siemens Energy ing the day, minimizing the use of fossil fuels,” Schwarz said. “It’s a model of what you can do in the industry today.”

The Science Behind the System

At the heart of Siemens Energy’s solutions is the BlueDrive increasing performance without human interaction. Safety

PlusC system, an energy-ef? cient, modular DC power and is also integral to automation. Since Siemens Energy’s sys- propulsion platform. Unlike standard alternating current tems ensure consistent power, blackouts can be avoided – (AC), the BlueDrive PlusC is compatible with variable-speed an essential bene? t for passenger ferries where reliability is generators that reduce fuel use by delivering energy in line crucial. Schwarz stressed this double-edged sword of auto- with the vessel’s needs. Not only does the system minimize mation: “You know, you want to keep the ship safe and ef? - emissions, but it also adds redundancy and safety by enabling cient and do as little harm as possible to the environment.” interconnected operations in high-risk conditions. But environmental savings do not stop at lowering green-

The BlueDrive PlusC system is further supported by Sie- house gases. Schwarz noted that ferries typically operate in mens Energy’s BlueVault batteries, which feature high-tech residential or busy coastal areas where local nitrogen oxides lithium-ion cells. They’re built for safety and reliability, (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions are also signi? - with state-of-the-art cooling and thermal runaway protec- cant sources of air pollution. “If we reduce fuel use, we’re tion. Schwarz spoke to the necessity of these innovations, not only reducing emissions globally, but we’re also doing pointing out that “energy storage is now a major piece of something tangible for communities where these ferries decarbonization and allows ferries to run on electricity travel,” he said. US ferry operators are already proving the for months at a time.” With the modular architecture of value of this model, reducing greenhouse gases and other lo-

BlueVault, operators can increase the capacity of the bat- cal pollutants while transitioning to hybrid and all-electric teries over time so they can comply with new regulations ? eets – which is precedent for North American ferry ? eets.

and respond to changing energy requirements. According to Schwarz, what makes Siemens Energy’s

Schwarz also mentioned the increasing potential of hy- solutions stand out is that they are ? exible. Schwarz said drogen fuel cells in addition to batteries. Siemens Energy that many passenger ferries have been built for decades, so has already used hydrogen in a number of projects and future technological and regulatory changes should be con- provides ferry operators with a ready-to-scale solution for sidered. “With an electric distribution backbone, they can long-term decarbonization. However, the ? rm is technolo- add more batteries, switch to new fuels, or become 100% gy-neutral and custom designs every system to ? t the ship emission-free by the time infrastructure matures.” For ferry and its speci? c use case. “What we do is ? nd what works companies, this innovative route is the direct path to sus- best for the owner, be it energy storage or hydrogen or tainability. In other words, whether the solution involves some combination,” Schwarz said. hybrid systems, automation, or next-generation energy storage, Siemens Energy has the resources and know-how

Automation, Energy Management – to ‘future-proof’ today’s ferries for tomorrow’s challenges.

and Safety, too By marrying technical know-how with environmental

Power management built into siemens Energy’s Blue- savvy, the ? rm is enabling ferry operators to make green

Drive PlusC constantly analyzes and optimizes energy ? eet changes easy. Summing up nicely, Schwarz advises, use. This makes generators only work when they need to, “Decarbonizing ferries is not just about cutting emissions, and the energy stored is used effectively to meet demand. but about building a greener, more resilient future for the

Schwarz called this “energy management at work,” it oper- maritime sector. With Siemens Energy onboard, that fu- ates quietly in the background, decreasing emissions and ture is already here.” www.marinelink.com MN 23|