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Energy container swapping

This factsheet is about sailing on exchangeable energy containers. This could be a battery container, or a container with a hydrogen fuel cell.

ElectrificationInland shipping

Introduction

When sailing on electricity, a barge could sail with the use of exchangeable, standardized battery containers, instead of fixed batteries on board. This has already been implemented on small-scale projects (see the Alphenaar) and is a potential route to the decarbonization of inland shipping.

Value proposition

  • Eliminate battery charging time

  • Potentially stabilize the electricity network

Currently, the range of battery packs is around 3 hours sailing with similar charging time. Swappable energy containers eliminate the battery charging time for vessels and reduce the off time of a vessel to a minimum. Additionally, charging battery containers could also be used to stabilize the electricity network and alleviate net congestion.

Port applicability

Energy-container swapping is suitable for barges primarily, and more effective on a large scale, so it is relevant for all ports connected to inland waterways (where an energy-container swapping corridor is feasible).

Groups of innovations

  • Battery (Li-Ion) containers

    Currently energy-containers are primarily based on (Li-Ion) batteries

    MAGPIE Green energy container demo

  • Hydrogen with a fuell cell

    Other battery types and power sources in a containerized way can be considered as well, e.g. hydrogen with a fuel cell. Still, as long as electricity is the output and available on demand, it could be used on any inland barge that sails on electricity and is able to have containers on board.

    MAGPIE Green energy container demo

Impact

Impact level per aspect
ImpactLevelRemark
GHG emissions (Tank-to-wake)Very large impact
Practically eliminated completely
GHG emissions (Well-to-wake)No impact
Depends on the source of electricity or fuel.
Noise reductionMedium impact
Impact above water is large, impact below water is limited.
Lower energy consumptionMedium impact

Barriers and enablers

Enablers

  • TechnologyEnabler

    All components (batteries, cranes, electrical craneS) are TRL 9 and can be implemented on a barge. Furthermore, innovation can still improve these compenents, such as battery type improvements towards more energy/range or lower weights, or other electrical power sources like fuel cells and fuel.

Barriers

  • EconomicsBarrier

    Battery containers, and alternative fuel cells are expensive and require high upfront investments, with gains from fast swapping still to be proven. For single vessels, two containers are needed on the ship and four for support, which currently requires high first mover investments. Nonetheless, the amount of support containers is expected to drop once more ships make use of the same infrastructure and can share batteries on the same corridor.

  • StandardsBarrier

    No standardization of the battery management container solution has been created yet. Yet all other regulations are in place, notably those related to safety, energy connection, package size/weight, etc.

  • InfrastructureBarrier

    Both sufficient charging and swapping locations are lacking, so current implementations are limited to more expensive single pilot projects. Network congestion may speed up the development as a more urgent business case than electricity demand by an inland barge.

How to implement?

  1. Step 1

    Create corridors

    By innovation supplier

  2. Step 2

    Convert vessels

    By ship owners and/or cargo owners

  3. Step 3

    Standardize

    By innovation suppliers

  4. Step 4

    E-network role out

    By innovation suppliers

Timeline

The arrow below represents the expected development of the TRL of energy container swapping.
* Technical Readiness Level

What should a port do in the next 3 years?

A small number of pilot corridors exist and are fully operational. If successful, full implementation (25% of the fleet on a certain trade route) is expected by 2040. Key in the process are continuous infrastructure investments (vessels, swapping locations, batteries), which should lead to market standardisation. As indicated, the use of battery- containers to support the energy network (balancing and congestion), may become a more important business case and speed up development.

Investment overview

CAPEX: includes investments for charging infrastructure, swapping infrastructure, ship retrofits, alternative fuel supply OPEX: includes costs for energy, and maintenance

Stakeholder overview

Below is an overview of the required involved stakeholders. For the realisation key stakeholders are the ship owner (To invest in the energy-container ready vessel), the energy-container supplier (infrastructure availability), Cargo-owner/interest (to ensure the cost gap is covered in the initial stage) For the operations, key stakeholders are: the ship owner (using energy-containers), the energy- container supplier (providing infrastructure), the terminal/swapper operator (providing infrastructure), the energy(electricity)-supplier (providing energy for the energy-container) and potentially the logistics supplier (to move containers between swapping and charging locations) Regulatory key stakeholders are: EU (decarbonization legislation), Port Authorities (permits to swap batteries), CCNR (battery powered vessel regulations), Ship Inspectorate (technical quality assurance), waterinfrastructure management body (permit to travel with batteries on the waterways).
Blue stakeholders are essential, white stakeholders are enabling

Knowledge base