New white paper discusses batteries' environmental impact on deep-sea shipping

CIMAC, a global non-profit promoting the development of ship propulsion, and the Maritime Battery Forum have published the first of three white papers on the environmental impact of batteries in deep-sea shipping. The paper offers a comprehensive examination of use cases and application areas within this field.

Experts from CIMAC's Greenhouse Gas Strategy Group, Working Group 20 System Integration, Working Group 21 Propulsion, and the Maritime Battery Forum have consolidated their knowledge and existing literature with empirical data in a comprehensive paper exploring the existing use cases and potential applications of batteries on today's deep-sea vessels.

CIMAC said the paper on use cases and application areas shows that there is still potential for battery usage within the industry to support decarbonisation. While it is evident that a fully battery-powered, zero-emission application is not available, battery usage may also be enhanced by the rise of alternative fuels, depending on needs based on changing design and sizing choices.

"The release of the document on use cases and application areas provided a concise overview of industry practice and viable options, which is crucial for evaluating potential courses of action for numerous stakeholders within the maritime industry," said Syb Ten Cate Hoedemaker, Managing Director of the Maritime Battery Forum. "We will be following up with a paper on regulation, safety, and the human factor, that will address additional critical issues concerning the environment of batteries onboard deep-sea going ships."

The upcoming paper on regulation, safety, and impact on staff is scheduled to be published by the end of 2025. This will be followed by the third paper, which will address the main topics of energy storage and integration, including life-cycle assessment, operation range, and limits.

The white paper can be accessed via this link.