Friday 2 August 2024
American shipping goes electric
Swedish battery systems supplier Echandia is setting up production in Washington, America to meet the growing demand for the electrification of the maritime sector.
According to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), electrification offers several advantages including reducing emissions and energy consumption.
It also minimises the need for maintenance and allows for more flexibility in the systems on board.
However, electric shipping is less than ideal for long distances due to its low energy density - less energy stored in the system.
For this reason, it is mostly used for car and passenger ferries instead of long distance commercial cargo.
Nevertheless, according to the Alternative Fuels Insight platform, there are more than 800 battery ships in operation globally, a figure that has more than tripled in the past five years.
Fredrik Hellström, CEO of Echandia Marine AB, said: 'Washington is leading the world's high-tech revolution, putting people to work on solutions that will change the world for the better.
'We are pleased to announce that we will establish a production facility in the State of Washington. The US market holds immense strategic importance for us and this represents a pivotal step in our rapid expansion.'
