STENA LINE LAUNCHES ‘BATTERY POWER’ INITIATIVE

The next step in Stena Line’s ongoing sustainability strategy is to test new environmentally friendly energy options for the propulsion of its vessels.

Stena Line recently signed a contract with Callenberg Technology Group for batteries with a total capacity of 1 MWh which will be installed on Stena Jutlandica, which operates between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn.

This means that, before the summer, battery power during ‘in port’ operations will become a reality.

The battery project is an important part of Stena Line’s ongoing sustainability strategy. Stena Line has set an ambitious target for battery propulsion to be able to help power vessels for up to 50 nautical miles.

From 2015, methanol has been part of the fuel mix on Stena Germanica, which operates between Gothenburg and Kiel, and Stena also runs around 300 different energy saving projects to achieve this goal.

The battery project has just started and will be rolled out on a step by step basis. In step one, the focus will be on switching to battery power for bow thrusters and maneuvering when berthing in port.

In step two, an extended battery operation will be connected to the propellers, enabling the Stena Jutlandica to operate on electricity for approximately 10 nautical miles, equal to the distance between Göteborg and Vinga Lighthouse.

In step three, battery capacity will be further expanded enabling a vessel to operate for approximately 50 nautical miles on electricity, which corresponds to the distance between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn.

The objective of accomplishing this in several steps is to test and gather knowledge about electrical operation along the way. If the project is successful, battery operation may also be applicable to other vessels in the Stena Line fleet of 38 vessels.