ships could install catalytic converters, similar to cars These separate harmful nitrogen

oxides into nitrogen and oxygen and a soot filter retains particulate matter. Or the ships
could use marine diesel instead of the extremely dirty heavy oil. Marine diesel contains
much less sulfur, but is much more expensive. Besides, both of these options have a
significant disadvantage: They are based on an internal combustion engine and,
consequently, fossil fuels.

This is why the use of other energy sources is more efficient and cleaner, such as
liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, or electric energy. Electrical drive systems are
not just deemed to be sustainable on land and in the air. In many cases, the
environmentally friendly alternatives to oil are suitable for inland shipping – and also for
oceangoing ships in the distant future. One advantage of battery operation is that
electricity is much cheaper than oil and, especially, marine diesel.

 Diesel-electric drive: Diesel generators generate the electricity. The electricity

then drives the electric engine, which moves the ship’s propeller.

 Hybrid drive: Batteries are on board in addition to the internal combustion engine.
On the one hand, they can be switched on additionally for a short time when a
power peak is needed. On the other hand, they can store surplus energy, such
as from the diesel generator. This would allow the ship to sail using nothing but
electricity for some time.

 Fully electric drive: There is no internal combustion engine on board, all the
energy comes from batteries.

For an electric drive system to be “worthwhile” on a ship, batteries must therefore

become considerably more efficient. Work is being carried out in this area: With “SAVe
Energy”, Rolls-Royce has developed a new battery system to electrify ships which has
already been introduced in 2018. The company has been developing and producing
energy storage systems since 2010, but in the past, the batteries came from external
suppliers. The liquid-cooled system SAVe Energy is said to be highly efficient – and
especially flexible: It can be used in fully electric or in hybrid ships, in ferries, cruise and
cargo ships. With a liquefied gas or diesel engine, the system also provides support and
reduces emissions. Initially, SAVe Energy will be delivered to Norwegian shipping
company Prestfjord. Rolls-Royce expects a boost: In 2019 alone, shipping companies
could install more batteries than in the eight years prior to this
Nevertheless, electric drive systems are still possible for ferries and inland vessels.
They dock frequently and can either exchange batteries in containers or briefly recharge
the batteries every time they dock and charge them completely overnight.

Hybrid technology on ferries and cruise ships

The four ferries of what is known as the “bird flight line” between Germany and
Denmark already sail with hybrid technology. The drive combines an internal
combustion engine and an electric drive system. According to the shipping company,
this reduces CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent. The “Vision of the Fjords” on Norway's
Nærøyfjord is also a hybrid ship: the electricity for the drive comes from diesel
generators and from batteries. They have a capacity of 600 kWh. The batteries are
charged while the ship is sailing with the surplus energy from the diesel engine and,
when it is docked, with clean hydro-electric power. The ship can sail for three hours with
the power from the batteries.

As the first hybrid-electric powered cruise ship, “MS Roald Amundsen” from Norwegian
shipping company Hurtigruten was introduced in 2019. Lithium-ion batteries will enable
the ship to sail for at least 30 minutes with electric power. The benefit for the
passengers is that they glide in complete silence along Norway’s coats and later along
the icebergs of Antarctica with no exhaust gases.

To date, it is mainly ferries and small passenger ships on inland waterways that sail
completely with electricity. They sail only short distances and dock often. The energy
storage units can thus be recharged quicker. In Norway, the world's first vehicle ferry
has been operating a regular scheduled service since 2015. The 80-meter-long
“Ampere” sails back and forth on the Sognefjord between Lavik and Oppedal 34 times
per day. Each time, it sails six kilometers, almost silently and with no exhaust gases.
The ferry was developed by Siemens together with Norwegian ship builder Fjellstrand.
Packages with lithium-ion batteries are installed in the ship and at both ports. Each of
these has the capacity of 1,600 automobile batteries. At each 10-minute stop, the ferry's
batteries are charged briefly and are charged completely overnight. The electricity is
from a hydroelectric power plant. Thanks to its lightweight aluminum design, the
Ampere is only half the weight of a conventional vehicle ferry, despite the 11-ton
battery. It saves a million liters of diesel each year and its operating costs are about 80
percent lower. Its CO2 emissions are only five percent of those of a conventional ferry.
A fully electric ferry has also been sailing on the river Mosel in Germany since spring
2018. The “Sankta Maria II” transports 45 passengers and six cars. Some of the
electricity is generated by 15 solar modules and is stored in two battery blocks. They
have a capacity of 252 kilowatt hours. This enables the ferry to sail for 6.5 hours
 Silicon carbide can process higher loads and voltages than silicon – and it needs less
installation space in the system because power dissipation is lower