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Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Gets Closer to Maritime Use

22 FEB 2023

Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Gets Closer to Maritime Use

 

ABS has issued a new technology qualification (NTQ) for a vanadium redox flow battery, moving ahead one of the first commercial applications of the little-known technology for maritime use.

Vanadium redox flow batteries store electrical energy in pairs of large tanks containing a liquid vanadium electrolyte. They are bulkier than lithium-ion batteries, but they have possible advantages for maritime applications. They are inherently non-flammable, unlike lithium-ion battery banks, which require electronic battery management systems and cooling systems to reduce the risk of fire. Flow batteries also scale up or down by the size of their electrolyte tanks, so the ship's range could be increased with relative simplicity by adding tank capacity.

In addition, flow batteries are long-lasting when worked hard. When repeatedly discharged from 100 percent down to 5 percent of maximum capacity, the technology can deliver up to 20,000 cycles of useable power, reports Maritime Executive technology contributor Harry Valentine.

Singaporean construction conglomerate Gennal Engineering PTE LTD is commercializing a vanadium redox flow battery design for maritime applications. According to Gennal, the new "Blue G" battery system will have a longer lifespan – more than 25 years, about double the life of a typical lithium-ion battery. The company also says that it will be possible to extract and recycle the vanadium electrolyte when the battery is decommissioned at end of life. 

The new "Blue G" battery has previously been announced as a power source for Evolution Concepts' Zevo OSV, a novel hybrid-electric offshore supply vessel to be built in Malaysia. Berg Propulsion will be providing the hybrid propulsion system for the project, and Malaysian shipbuilders Grade One Marine Shipyard, Muhibbah Marine Engineering and Shin Yang Shipyard will be carrying out construction.

“Vanadium redox technology is a potential game changer in the application of batteries at sea. It has the advantages of a long lifespan, greatly improved energy capacity and an improved safety profile as a non-flammable product. This technology is one that has the potential to accelerate the energy transition in the maritime industry, supporting global decarbonization goals,” said Gareth Burton, ABS Vice President, Technology.

Dutch engineering consultancy Conoship, German shipowner Vega Reederei and Canadian company VanadiumCorp have announced plans for a similar vanadium redox flow battery for ship propulsion, with support from the German-Australian Alliance for Electrochemical

Technologies for the Storage of Renewable Energy (CENELEST). VanadiumCorp announced in December that it is moving towards construction of an electrolyte manufacturing plant.

PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2023 11:45 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Comments (0)


Today
8:03am
Hi Jenna! I made a new design, and i wanted to show it to you.
8:03am
It's quite clean and it's inspired from Bulkit.
8:12am
Oh really??! I want to see that.
8:13am
FYI it was done in less than a day.
8:17am
Great to hear it. Just send me the PSD files so i can have a look at it.
8:18am
And if you have a prototype, you can also send me the link to it.

Monday
4:55pm
Hey Jenna, what's up?
4:56pm
Iam coming to LA tomorrow. Interested in having lunch?
5:21pm
Hey mate, it's been a while. Sure I would love to.
5:27pm
Ok. Let's say i pick you up at 12:30 at work, works?
5:43pm
Yup, that works great.
5:44pm
And yeah, don't forget to bring some of my favourite cheese cake.
5:27pm
No worries

Today
2:01pm
Hello Jenna, did you read my proposal?
2:01pm
Didn't hear from you since i sent it.
2:02pm
Hello Milly, Iam really sorry, Iam so busy recently, but i had the time to read it.
2:04pm
And what did you think about it?
2:05pm
Actually it's quite good, there might be some small changes but overall it's great.
2:07pm
I think that i can give it to my boss at this stage.
2:09pm
Crossing fingers then

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