Increased demand for electrification creates challenges

Last week, Freber AS was on a trip to Trøndelag, in the middle of Norway. Colleagues Morten Uhl Knudsen and Ingar Ottosen were given the opportunity to present Freber’s solutions in both stationary and mobile systems for energy storage.​

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Ocean-going vessels in need of charging

The first visit on the agenda was Trondheim Havn, the port of Trondheim. We got to present our solutions in energy storage and at the same time learn how they envision the future with increasing electrification of ocean-going vessels. It is a fact that the speed of electrification is not equivalent to the availability of power to charge these vessels.

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This is mainly about cruise ships that need shore power when they are in port, it is about ferries and passenger boats that need quick recharging when they arrive at small ports for short stops to drop off cars and passengers, and it is about service boats that have assignments in the aquaculture industry.

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Many of these challenges can be solved in the short term with a form of energy storage, based on battery modules that can be charged at low power when not in use and transmit this power in a short time when fast charging of vessels is needed or as a supplement to the local grid for power connection to vessels that are in port for a few hours a day.

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Freber AS had the opportunity to present different solutions to meet these needs, whether it is larger units for onshore power supply and charging of ferries, or it is smaller units combined with CCS output for charging service boats in the aquaculture industry. An advantage of such systems is that they are modular and can be scaled as needed, built into containers, and they are relatively mobile so that they can be used as a temporary solution during ongoing development of infrastructure, and then relocated if desired.

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Emission-free construction sites

On our return trip, we visited a machine contractor with demand to use electric excavators. They encounter problems with the possibility of charging, as assignments are often in places without grid, or with very limited access to power. In this situation we can offer a solution with a smaller battery pack combined with a charger with CCS output. This can be placed on a trailer or truck for transport to the construction site and the excavator can be charged during the working day.

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