Low Emissions Energy
As part of Damen Shipyards Group’s mission to become the most sustainable maritime solutions provider, the Amsterdam yard has provided shore power for many years. In this way, the yard provided low-emissions energy to vessels undergoing work in its docks. However, it was not a solution that was compatible with all vessels.
Commercial Manager Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf Jeen van der Werf explains, “Previously, we were able to provide shore power with 50 Hz. However, we get a lot of offshore, navy, and fishing vessels come to the yard for work, and many of these vessels operate on 60 Hz.”
Advancing Maritime Sustainability
As a result, he says, they often had to hire a diesel-powered generator, something the environmentally conscious yard was keen to avoid.
“We’re always keen to play our part in advancing maritime sustainability, so when we heard about a 35% temporary subsidy for sea goings vessels from the RVO (Dutch Enterprise Agency) for shore power installations, we were very happy to take part with an investment of our own.”
A Company That Thinks Along
First, the yard needed to find a company that could think along with them to create the right solution, one that would cover all the diverse vessels the yard caters to and which would be optimally reliable.
It was at this point that Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf began discussions with Elma Systems. Together, the two companies set about the development of a solution in tune with the yard’s needs. Elma came up with a rotary converter that converts the shore power to the desired 60 Hz.
The shore power system of 355A (Ampere), which is installed on the yard’s floating dock, can support up to 25 0kVA. However, should more power be required, there is an option to add a battery or secondary power source. The Rotary Converter is, therefore, also equipped with a load-sharing system. With this new shore power system, Damen Ship Repair Oranjewerf expects to see a reduction in carbon emissions, making a significant contribution towards its sustainability ambitions.
Competitive Advantage
As an additional benefit, the wider use of shore power means that the yard no longer has to hire costly diesel generators and is, therefore, able to offer its clients a more competitively priced project.
Marco Roman of Elma Systems, said, “We’re very grateful to Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf for placing their trust in us to develop this customized solution. Also, we value the collaboration that we experienced during this project, from development to installation. It has resulted in a solution that will help not only Damen but also the maritime industry as a whole to conduct operations in a cleaner, more environmentally conscious manner in a very smart way.”
