An industry body for offshore marine contractors says that battery systems will play an increasingly important role in vessels with dynamic positioning (DP) systems.
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is promoting ways of reducing carbon emissions in the marine environment as part of its strategic theme of environmental sustainability. The contribution of battery technologies in reducing carbon emissions is now having a positive effect in the offshore marine construction market. A number of the IMCA’s member companies have taken the lead by incorporating hybrid power technologies on DP ships; and the initial feedback is very positive in terms of both carbon reduction and economic benefit.
“The need for decarbonization and lower-cost strategies are well understood, and as these technologies become more mainstream they will make a strong contribution to our industry,” says Captain Andy Goldsmith, IMCA’s Technical Advisor. “The goal of this program is to establish best operating practice to enable new hybrid power technologies to be interfaced with existing ship technologies in a safe and efficient manner, thereby allowing industry to transition to battery systems as smoothly as possible.”
For the last 30 years IMCA has been at the forefront of developing and publishing practical guidance and operating standards for the offshore marine construction industry. Currently IMCA’s DP Committee is addressing best practice for incorporating battery technologies into the existing power plants of DP ships. These are highly engineered systems where safety is paramount, however IMCA sees the very real potential of advanced battery systems playing an increasingly beneficial role in the offshore oil and gas and renewable energy industries.