By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
Shift Clean Energy is revolutionising electrification with its new pay-as-you-go solution, PwrSwäp. The cost-effective service has been developed to help cruise and ferry operators to effectively tackle the climate crisis and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, whilst still achieving their commercial goals.
PwrSwäp integrates energy storage systems (ESSs) and renewable energy for commercial maritime applications to electrify ports, terminals, inland waterways, industrial sites and communities through full electrification or hybridisation.
Customers pay a baseline subscription service fee for a pay-as-you-go electrical energy supply, making it easier for them to switch to greener technologies and move towards zero-emission operations without significant capital expenditure. The system results in significant savings from day one, paying for itself within a few years.
PwrSwäp is particularly useful for the ferry industry. Operators in this sector must balance the massive energy storage systems needed to power short, frequent trips with cost-efficiency and the necessary safety solutions. As such, those looking to adopt ESS technology could incur large costs to operate successfully on a long-term basis.
However, if they choose PwrSwäp, they simply need to swap out a container of batteries or a set of e-pods for a constant and more environmentally friendly energy supply. The battery can be charged offshore, on the vessel itself or at one of PwrSwäp’s charging stations.
The proprietary technology has successfully passed some of the most challenging tests on the market for marine batteries, including nail penetration testing, propagation testing and the A60 test, which assesses fire safety. This is one of the key differentiators for Shift Clean Energy, which places the safety of crew and passengers at the core of its innovations.
One example of a shipping company that has already partnered with Shift Clean Energy to electrify its fleet is Netherlands-based operator KOTUG International. Shift Clean Energy is supplying swappable battery energy containers for KOTUG’s new E-Pushers on the European market. These E-Pushers will use inland waterways to transport cocoa beans from Cargill between the Port of Amsterdam and its cacao facilities in Zaandam.
With Shift Clean Energy currently developing the new era of PwrSwäp charging stations, it expects to make great in-roads in the global electrification market in the coming years.
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
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