Shipping is a big business, and huge container ships are responsible for transporting most of the world’s cargo from point A to points B, C and D. Of course, all these activities will have a significant impact on the environment and are not suitable for cleaners. We hope that the future will be a cooler world. Therefore, old ships must be found to replace fossil fuel burning ships. To this end, Yara International has developed a ship called “Zero Emissions”. Yarra Berkland, Designed to show the way forward A world of electric, autonomous maritime transportation.
Water power
Yara International was originally established to solve the famine problem in Europe in the early 20th century. This was mainly achieved through the development of the world’s first batch of nitrogen fertilizers, which greatly increased crop yields.Recently, the company has begun to focus on broader sustainability issues, thereby promoting Yarra Berkland.
The ship relies on electricity and is equipped with a 7 MWh battery. In contrast, the battery pack of an ordinary electric car is between 40 and 100 kWh. In fact, Yarra Berkland The capacity of the battery pack is approximately equivalent to 70 Tesla Model S battery packs. It is designed to allow ships to charge their battery packs as they enter the port through terminal facilities.
The battery is paired with two 700 kW tunnel thrusters for propulsion. There are two other 900 kW Azipull pod thrusters, which, in addition to increasing maneuverability, can also propel ships.All the power is given Yarra Berkland The top speed is 13 knots, or about 15 MPH. The cargo capacity is 120 20-foot equivalent units, or TEU in general transportation terms. Or, it can carry 60 40-foot containers.
This ship is working with Kongsberg, A ship system supplier based in Norway. The company has a history of more than 200 years and first started as an munitions factory in 1814. Over the years, the company has diversified and has now occupied an important position in the maritime industry. Kongsberg is responsible for the autonomous aspects of the project, including the sensors and integration work involved, as well as the electric drive system and propulsion system.
Before the end of the year, the ship will travel from Herøya to Brevik under its own autonomous control, while being monitored by a series of land-based control centers. At this early stage, like any other container ship, this ship will be manually loaded and unloaded manually. However, the goal is to automate these processes on the track, reducing the cost of transporting goods by removing people from the circulation. But it is worth noting that berthing and unberthing will be handled automatically, without manual intervention or special equipment on the dock.
A cleaner option
The shipping industry accounts for a large part of global greenhouse gas emissions, about 2.5-3% According to recent research. Although it only accounts for about 10% of the total emissions from transportation, if you consider road travel, aviation, rail, and other sources. In any case, greenhouse gas levels and global temperature continue to rise to the point where savings need to be found in all areas (including shipping).
Unfortunately, the pace of change has been slow.Shipping emissions have Continue to rise, From 2012 to 2018, it increased by about 10%.Faced with this situation, the goal of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is By 2030, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40%, Relative to the 2008 level. By 2050, it is hoped that they will drop to 70%. Given the negative progress made so far, this is a daunting goal.
The IMO has enforced a series of efficiency requirements in an attempt to dominate the industry. Their international guidelines point out that ships built in 2022 need to be 30% more energy efficient than ships built in 2014. These guidelines were originally scheduled to take effect in 2025, but they were proposed to the committee at the 74th Marine Environmental Protection Conference.
These energy efficiency regulations will cause a lot of changes in the international shipping business. IMO aims to achieve incremental improvements through simple measures, such as better voyage planning and more regular cleaning of the propellers and the bottom of the ship. More in-depth technical measures will involve improvements to the efficiency of ships, such as implementing waste heat recovery devices or installing more efficient propellers to help ships save fuel and reduce emissions.
The way forward
Obviously, a zero-emission ship that does not emit greenhouse gases will be a great victory for achieving these goals. Even if ships use fossil fuels to generate electricity and transfer pollution from many ships to fewer municipal power plants, it is still a huge victory in terms of efficiency and lower emissions. In this regard, this is roughly the same as the benefits of switching to electric vehicles.
However, similar problems that slow the spread of electric vehicles will also affect electric transportation. The port does not yet have the infrastructure to support electric ships, and a large amount of raw materials are needed to produce the batteries needed to support the electric fleet. These problems are not insurmountable, but they take time to solve, usually several decades.
Yara International’s project is the first step towards a broader trend that may become the shipping industry. Obviously, in contrast, when a full-size container ship has a capacity of more than 14,000 TEUs, a small electric ship carrying 120 containers is not the solution. However, this is the first step on the long road towards a better transformation of global shipping. The success or failure of this project will teach us a lot about what will happen.