Solar panels for ocean-going vessels
Dutch marine solar energy specialist Wattlab has introduced its SolarDeck for marine vessels. SolarDeck uses deck-mounted solar panels that significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Wattlab, founded in 2017, has focused on inland shipping for its first few years with its Solar Flatrack. This is a modular solar power system consisting of movable and stackable integrated solar panels and inverters. So far, Wattlab’s SolarHatches have been installed on more than 25 inland vessels.
With the aim of reducing fuel costs for marine vessel owners and promoting the further decarbonisation of the maritime sector, Wattlab is now expanding to marine shipping with SolarDeck.
Twistlock attachments
“In designing SolarDeck, we have always put the shipowner’s requirements first. We know that ‘time is money’. That is why SolarDeck can be installed in no time using container twist lock fasteners. It also does not affect normal loading and unloading procedures,” says Bo Salet, CEO of Wattlab.
He adds, “However, we also know – especially for cargo ship owners – that ‘space is money’. With a deck cargo such as offshore wind turbine blades, the ship’s crew can store the SolarDeck in a 20-foot container, leaving the deck free for cargo.”
TNO and Vertom
SolarDeck has made its mark: in cooperation with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO and international shipping company Vertom, Wattlab has spent the past 18 months developing and testing the new system on board Vertom’s 7280-DWT dry cargo vessel Anette, in a project co-financed by the European Union’s Just Transition Fund. The results of the test phase are positive.
“The test results show that SolarDeck performs well in the harsher conditions – in terms of salinity and rough seas – of coastal shipping. Because salt water can drain freely from the solar panels, there is no risk of salt crusting.
As a result, SolarDeck generates the expected power,” Salet explains. “Moreover, the system is robust enough to withstand both storms and the usual daily activities on board a seafaring vessel, while ensuring safety at all times.”
Fuel and emission reductions
Based on the test results (the Vertom Anette is 119 metres long and 14 metres wide), Wattlab predicts a reduction of 20 MT of fuel and 68 MT of CO₂ emissions per year for this type of coaster. These figures are significant enough to have a significant impact on a shipowner’s EEXI and CII scores, in addition to the potential savings through FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS regulations. Note that for larger vessels, the efficiency gains are also (much) larger.
“We are excited to introduce SolarDeck to marine shipping – to show ship owners what this system can do for their operations,” concludes Salet. “SolarDeck is not just a green upgrade. With a payback period of three to five years, it is a smart investment.”
JTF fund
Wattlab’s SolarDeck pilot project was co-funded by the European Union’s Just Transition Fund (JTF). The JTF is a new cohesion policy instrument 2021-2027, as the first pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism under the European Green Deal, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.
Source: Mariska Buitendijk on SWZ-Maritime.
Image: The Vertom Anette is equipped with the SolarDeck.
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