Toward Safer, Smarter, and Greener Ships: Using Hybrid Marine Power Plants

Electrical power plants with diesel-generator sets segregated (i.e., the diesel generator sets are divided into different power buses and physical stations on ships and rigs) on several power buses have become the preferred solution for ships with various operational profiles and corresponding power demands. Examples of such ships are dynamically positioned (DP) vessels with electric power plants in the range of 10-80 MW used in the offshore oil and gas industry for service, drilling, intervention, and production operations (Figure 1). The operations are characterized as safety critical and take place year-round, with large variations in the environmental loads acting on the ship, e.g., wind, waves, ocean currents, and sea ice. Electrical power plants have also become the preferred solution for cruise ships, ferries, navy ships, liquefied natural gas tankers, and icebreakers. The electric energy production may be powered by a hybrid marine power plant consisting of diesel or gas engines and integrated energy storage devices (ESDs) such as banks of batteries. Proper design and control systems can deliver significant fuel savings to make the ships greener and safer.