The Swedish Shipowners' Association, ABB Sweden, ABB Marine Oy, Stena, RISE, and Northvolt have launched a new collaboration, Electromobility for Sweden, aimed at electrifying the shipping sector.

"By working together and using all the knowledge that Sweden possesses, we have a unique opportunity to continue to be world leader in climate smart shipping. Innovative solutions are required to strengthen Swedish competitiveness while promoting sustainable transport," Pia Berglund, Vice President, Swedish Shipowners' Association, said.

Dan Sten Olsson, CEO, Stena, added, "Batteries and electrification are an important part of Stena's sustainability strategy and we are proud to be part of developing solutions for future transport through this collaboration."

"We believe that modern ships will be built on the foundation of electricity. This expands their range of viable energy sources beyond traditional fuel to for instance batteries and fuel cells," commented Marcus Högblom, Head of the Passenger, Ice & Dry Cargo segment, ABB Marine & Ports.

He also said, "The electrical backbone, integrated with automation and control systems, will also transform the industry from merely connected operations to collaborative and automated operations."

"We believe that the next generation of ships will be electric, digital and connected - something that makes shipping future-proof," Högblom summed up.

Most recently, Stena Line bought from Callenberg Technology a set of batteries (1.0 MWh) to be installed already before this summer on the company's ferry Stena Jutlandica plying between the ports of Gothenburg and Frederikshavn.

Initially, the energy from the batteries will be used to power the ship's thrusters, as well as during berthing operations and for peak shaving. In the following two phases, the battery pack will be increased to 20 and 50 MWh, respectively, in order for Jutlandica to sail on batteries only - up to 10 nautical miles in phase two and as much as 50 nm in the project’s final stage.

Photo: Stena Line