Vard to fit two Simon Møkster’s PSVs with hybrid battery power

Electrical engineering firm Vard Electro has signed two new contracts with Simon Møkster Shipping for the installation of SeaQ Energy Storage System (ESS) onboard two platform supply vessels (PSVs).

To increase the company’s energy efficiency and environmental performance, Simon Møkster Shipping has placed an order for SeaQ Energy Storage System with Vard Electro, which has been installing SeaQ battery technology onboard vessels all around the world since 2016.

By the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, Stril Orion and Stril Polar are scheduled to be hybrid battery power ready. This means that the vessels would be qualified for DNV’s battery power notation.

Commenting on two new contracts, Johan Stavik, sales manager at Vard Electro said: “We are excited to once again have been chosen to deliver our SeaQ Energy Storage System onboard two of Simon Møkster Shipping’s platform supply vessels. We have a solid competence in battery installations, and as a total supplier we can facilitate the installation of battery solutions with minimum downtime”.

As Simon Møkster Shipping wants hybrid battery power onboard its two PSVs, Vard Electro intends to utilise its system integrators’ experience to provide a retrofit, deckhouse energy storage system. The entire project including engineering, steel prefabrication, installation, integration, testing, and commissioning will be the responsibility of Vard Electro, while planning and installation will be done in collaboration with Simon Møkster Shipping.

Tom Karlsen, chief technology officer at Simon Møkster Shipping stated: “With a goal to further increase our fleet’s fuel efficiency and to become more environmentally friendly, Vard Electro and their SeaQ technology was a natural choice for us”.

SeaQ ESS, which is based on unique hybrid technology, increases fleet sustainability and safety, reduces emissions along with fuel consumption and stores the excess energy for later use, while optimizing vessel performance, according to Vard. Included modes entail zero-emission transit, peak shaving, and spinning reserve. This ensures batteries have the ability to supply immediate energy in critical situations.

The SeaQ Energy Management System and the SeaQ Power Management System communicate with existing control systems onboard to control and monitor the hybrid system. The batteries dispense and absorb energy through load fluctuations, which means the engines would be running at optimal load to accomplish efficiency improvements in emission and fuel consumption.

In related news, Vard Electro in July this year signed another contract for a hybrid battery power system with Atlantic Towing, as part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was agreed for it to be installed on the platform supply vessel, Atlantic Shrike.`