Power and energy company GE Power Conversion has announced the success of two innovation projects that aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions created by operations on land and at sea.
GE is helping ship and port operators progress toward achieving net zero operations using cleaner power systems and digital energy management. The company’s electric microgrid systems can host the integration of new energy sources and smarter digital and control technologies as they develop.
The two projects were carried out as part of the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and benefitted from real-world vessel and port applications to accelerate various solutions.
GE Power Conversion worked on the integration of multi-megawatt (MW) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems into a large ship architecture with partners Ceres, Lloyd’s Register and MSC Cruise Management (UK). The collaborative effort resulted in a design for up to 10MW onboard solid oxide fuel cell power installations, capable of providing electric power for large vessels. The system can replace traditionally used, polluting diesel gensets and can reduce CO2 emissions levels by 47% while improving air quality and noise pollution in ports. Furthermore, the SOFC systems can operate on multiple types of new, cleaner fuels, aiding the transition to a cleaner maritime sector.
The technology company has also been involved in a project to manage power and energy more efficiently in port areas. Working in collaboration with PD Ports, Connected Places Catapult and Teesside University, GE utilized its cloud-based, integrated digital concept to improve situational awareness of energy supply and demand. By gathering PD Ports’ data, GE has created operational scenarios to carry out testing using an emulated digital twin platform.
“Industry is investing in ‘clean ship’ and ‘clean port’ technology readiness, but it’s really important we work with customers on their operational needs if the path to net zero is to be viable,” said Andy Cooper, managing director of GE Power Conversion in the UK. “Congratulations to the teams on making impressive progress toward potential commercialization.”
