Harvey Gulf to convert second PSV to battery hybrid

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Harvey Champion (Image: Harvey Gulf International Marine)

Last month we reported that Harvey Gulf International Marine had opted to convert the Harvey Energy — the first LNG-fueled PSV in the Americas — to battery hybrid operation (see story).

Harvey Gulf has also opted to convert one of its conventionally fueled vessels to battery hybrid. Today, GE reported that its Power Conversion business is to provide a SeaGreen Energy Storage System for the Harvey Champion, a 300 ft class DP2 diesel electric PSV delivered in 2012 by Eastern Shipbuilding.

The SeaGreen solution manages energy sources according to load demand, enabling operators to optimize energy usage while providing continuity of operations, increased efficiency and reduced emissions.

Included in GE’s transformer-less solution are two 1,000 A systems, each with batteries, drives and supporting cooling and safety systems, mounted within a single ISO container.

PLUG-AND-PLAY

GE says the “plug-and-play” approach makes the solution a simple, fast and cost-effective choice for vessel upgrades.

“The Harvey Champion is one of America’s first offshore support vessels that will be equipped with a battery energy storage system, aiming to achieve emissions reduction and fuel-efficiency benefits. We are pleased to work with GE on this exciting venture and are committed to maintaining our service fleets among the most competitive in the industry,” said Shane Guidry, CEO of Harvey Gulf.

SeaGreen ESS can provide backup power in the event of a power blackout. It can also provide critical reserve power in the case of the failure of any engine or smooth out peak power fluctuations. Thus, it removes or minimizes the need to run additional engines, avoiding significant additional fuel consumption and engine hours running costs.

“With decades of marine experience, we have a large number of electric and hybrid systems in operation, delivering required performance to the world’s vessel operators across a diverse marine segment,” said Ed Torres, CEO of marine and oil and gas, GE’s Power Conversion business. “Being the latest generation of our energy-efficient hybrid and electric technology portfolio, SeaGreen can fully integrate with GE’s automation and control and dynamic positioning systems to provide the optimized operating experience and vessel performance.”

GE’s SeaGreen solution for Harvey Champion is dual channel, which allows one container to back up two separate switchboards. Fully self-contained, it requires only simple electrical connections to the vessel. As part of the ESS package, GE’s transformer-less dual-channel LV3 drive has a simple design, reducing power losses across the ship’s electrical network, further elevating energy efficiency at the system level.

Comprehensively tested over the last three years at GE’s Marine Power Testing Facility in the U.K., GE’s SeaGreen ESS is available for retrofit and newbuilds.

“With an ever-increasing focus on emissions and other environmental factors, clean marine technologies are high on the marine industry’s agenda and a differentiator for our customers’ vessels to stay competitive,” said Azeez Mohammed, president and CEO, GE’s Power Conversion business. “Leading the green wave, we have recently inked a partnership with Nedstack to develop the hydrogen fuel cell technology for zero-emission shipping.”

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