GE Power Conversion has completed two innovation projects, hoping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector through cleaner fuels and energy efficiency measures.
GE Power Conversion’s managing director in the UK, Andy Cooper, said: “Industry is investing in ‘clean ship’ and ‘clean port’ technology readiness, but it’s really important we work with customers on their operational needs if the path to net zero is to be viable.”
A digital solution aimed at energy management to help reduce emissions at ports by managing power and energy more efficiently has been tested using an emulated digital twin platform.
With project partners PD Ports, Connected Places Catapult and Teesside University, GE’s cloud-based, integrated digital concept aims to improve situational awareness on energy supply and demand.
Benefitting from PD Ports’ data has enabled the team to create operational scenarios to carry out testing using an emulated digital twin platform.
Digital energy management is part of GE Power Conversion’s range of port electrification solutions.
In addition, GE has been working on the integration of multi-megawatt (MW) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems into a large ship architecture with partners Ceres, Lloyd’s Register and MSC Cruise Management (UK) Ltd.
The company has come up with a new collaborative design for up to 10MW solid oxide fuel cell systems to provide electric power for large ships, with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 47% and significantly improve air quality and noise pollution when ships are in port.
At this scale, systems are able to provide electric power for large ships, and replace conventional diesel generating sets.
SOFC have the benefit of being able to operate on different types of new, cleaner fuels, an advantage as ship operators look to accommodate the transition to future fuels.
The projects were part of the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, launched in March 2021, and funded by the UK government’s department of transport in partnership with Innovate UK.
