Mobile battery system deployed to overcome port grid constraints for electric vessel

A 450 kWh mobile battery energy storage system is being deployed to support charging of an electric offshore wind crew-transfer vessel, providing an alternative to permanent high-power grid connections at ports.

Marine electrification company Tidal Transit is using Fellten’s Charge Qube CQ450 to provide shoreside charging for e-Ginny, its project to convert the diesel-powered Ginny Louise into a fully electric crew-transfer vessel (CTV).

Mobile battery provides up to 240 kW charging

The Charge Qube CQ450 has 450 kWh of energy storage and can deliver charging at up to 240 kW. Its mobile and modular design allows the system to be moved between shoreside locations, enabling high-power charging capacity to be deployed without waiting for permanent grid upgrades.

The deployment addresses a growing infrastructure challenge for marine electrification. As electric vessel technology and charging requirements develop, some ports may not have sufficient grid capacity to support high-power vessel charging.

Leo Hambro, co-founder and CEO of Tidal Transit, said one of the biggest challenges facing marine decarbonisation is that electric vessel technology is advancing faster than the supporting infrastructure onshore. He said that if the industry is serious about reducing fossil fuel dependence and decarbonising offshore wind logistics and wider maritime operations, practical charging solutions are needed that work now, not years down the line, adding that the Charge Qube would provide the high-power charging required to support e-Ginny and potentially other electric and hybrid vessels without being limited by local grid constraints.

Fellten expands mobile energy storage range

Fellten’s mobile battery systems range from the 160 kWh CQ160 to a planned 1 MWh system. The company’s technology is also being used in applications such as electric vehicle fleet depots and battery-electric vehicle programmes, where limited grid capacity can restrict access to high-power charging.

For ports and maritime operators, mobile energy storage can provide temporary or flexible charging capacity while permanent electrical infrastructure is being developed or upgraded.

e-Ginny project targets electric offshore wind operations

The e-Ginny project involves converting Ginny Louise from diesel propulsion to fully electric operation. Tidal Transit is also developing offshore charging infrastructure as part of the project.

Mike Ellenthorpe, general manager at Fellten, described the vessel as a demonstration of how mobile storage could support commercial marine electrification.

Tidal Transit said the combination of offshore charging infrastructure and the shoreside battery system is intended to demonstrate how electric crew-transfer vessels could replace diesel-powered vessels used to transport personnel in the offshore wind industry.