Wärtsilä has reached a new milestone in the battery technology development as the company completed the installation of a hybrid energy system on board »Viking Princess«.
According to the Finnish technology group the Norwegian vessel is now the first ever offshore supply vessel i[ds_preview]n which batteries reduce the number of generators aboard the ship. The new energy storage solution will improve engine efficiency, generate fuel savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. »Viking Princess« completed sea trials and the system was handed over to customer Eidesvik Offshore on 9 October 2017.
Wärtsilä sees significant potential to save fuel through improved engine efficiency, as the operating profile of supply vessels is highly variable. When using the installed energy storage system on board »Viking Princess«, the fuel saving potential can be up to 30 % in various operations Wärtsilä stated. Furthermore the CO2 emissions could be reduced by up to approximately 13-18 % per year, depending on operational conditions and requirements. In addition the hybrid solution will provide a more optimal load on the engines, while the intervals between engine maintenance could be extended.
