A PV system has gone into operation on a new cargo ship developed by HGK Shipping and Salzgitter AG, supplying power directly to the vessel’s propulsion system. A total of 192 solar modules provide electricity to both the onboard low-voltage system and the high-voltage propulsion unit.
Wattlab, a Dutch solar company, said that this is the first PV system in the world to feed solar power directly into a freighter’s electric propulsion.
The modules were installed at the De Gerlien van Tiem shipyard, and the photovoltaic system was commissioned in less than two weeks. The project partners included Blommaert Aluminium and Van Tiem Electro. The “Blue Marlin” cargo ship is a new build, but Wattlab said a retrofit on a similar-sized vessel would require no more than one week of downtime.
Under optimal conditions, the PV array delivers up to 35 kW and is fully integrated into the propulsion system of the 135-meter-long freighter. It operates alongside four diesel generators that power the electric drive system.
The integration of solar power and battery storage reduces the need to activate an additional generator during periods of high energy availability. Wattlab said automated energy management improves efficiency and cuts fuel consumption.
“When the ship is lightly loaded and traveling downstream, we even expect it to be able to operate exclusively on solar power for a time,” said David Kester, co-founder of Wattlab.
Steel manufacturer Salzgitter and German logistics provider HGK Shipping jointly designed the cargo ship. It transports steel and bulk materials on the northwest German canal network between Salzgitter and Friedrichsfeld. The vessel has a maximum carrying capacity of 3,110 tons.
