Written by: Basant El-Farmawy
Hanwha Power has received preliminary approval from the American Bureau of Shipping for the design of a battery-powered container ship with a capacity of 1,700 TEUs. The certificate of approval was presented during the Electric & Hybrid Marine Expo in Bergen, Norway.
The approved design relies on an all-electric propulsion system powered by a large-scale energy storage system with a capacity of approximately 151 megawatt-hours. The ship uses containerized battery units as the primary source of propulsion, enabling zero-emission operations by leveraging port charging infrastructure.
Space Efficiency and Loading Advantages
The containerized batteries can be handled and stored like standard shipping containers, contributing to increased space utilization efficiency on board and maximizing capacity and overall performance. This design also offers high flexibility in battery replacement and scalable operations, providing a practical solution for reducing emissions in regional and short-sea shipping.
Expanding in the Zero-Emission Maritime Market
This step strengthens the company's capabilities in designing all-electric ships and expands its portfolio of eco-friendly marine propulsion solutions. The company intends to build on this achievement to seize opportunities in the future zero-emission maritime transport market.
In related efforts, the company has completed the basic design for another battery-powered container ship with a capacity of 1,000 TEUs. Through its experience in designing ships for various categories, the company aims to develop an integrated portfolio of electric-propulsion vessels to meet diverse operational conditions and customer needs.
Jeong-Kyu Hwang, Vice President of Technology Solutions at the company, emphasized that this approval represents a significant milestone in expanding marine technology capabilities toward all-electric ships based on massive battery systems, noting the trend toward meeting the needs of the future maritime transport market with integrated solutions that combine electric propulsion and containerized battery technologies.
