New shipping power pack turns waste heat into electricity
A new power pack developed by Alfa Laval can supposedly capture excess heat waste and convert it directly into electricity, which has been designed to aid in the decarbonisation of the marine industry.
The E-Power Pack can generate power from several different sources aboard a vessel, from exhaust gas waste heat to engine jacket water, and reportedly operates at lower emissions than standard electricity generation while saving on fuel.
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Exhaust heat reportedly accounts for 50% of the energy from combusted fuel on ships, but much of it is wasted by being pumped out of a pipe and dumped into the atmosphere. This can lead to air pollution and severe emissions.
The shipping sector currently accounts for around 2.5% of global emissions, and power packs such as these may prove a crucial first step in decarbonising the sector by tackling fuel waste in combustion engines.
While phasing out fossil fuels will be the ultimate end goal of the industry, alternatives such as these can at least make the use of traditional combustion engines a little more efficient while the transition takes place.
Alfa Laval is pursuing a wide range of technologies to support decarbonization, both independently and with partners", Lars Skytte Jørgensen, the Vice President of Technology Development and Energy Systems at Alfa Laval's Marine Division said in a statement.
“Fuel cells and many other innovations are in the pipeline, but the first critical step is to leverage the existing energy on board. The E‑PowerPack does that in a revolutionary way while building on Alfa Laval’s many decades of waste heat recovery experience".
The power pack is set for commercial launch in April. The company claims that shipping operators should see results regardless of the fuel they use.
For example, for vessels where moving to low-sulphur fuel has created a surplus of steam, the power pack will transform the excess into a free source of power. Going forward, the E-PowerPack will also be vital as energy recovery becomes key in transitioning to green methanol and ammonia.
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“The versatility and fuel savings will make the E-PowerPack an easy choice for shipowners... On a wider level, it will be a decisive part of reaching the industry’s common goal of net-zero [emissions]", according to Danny Ingermann, the E-Power Pack's head of global sales at Alfa Laval.
“Savings that offset fuel costs are only one part of the picture, since methanol and ammonia are both more expensive and less energy-rich. For the amount of fuel they carry to be feasible, vessels will need to utilize all of the energy that methanol and ammonia contain. The E-PowerPack will be a vital part of achieving the energy balance", he added.
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