Tesvolt Ocean, a company specializing in battery storage for inland and maritime shipping, is presenting two new battery systems.
The lightweight storage modules are designed to fit into almost any niche on a ship and can therefore be installed flexibly. They will be presented for the first time at the Electric & Hybrid trade fair in Amsterdam.
The German-Norwegian company will be presenting the new “Kaptein NMC Compass” and “Kaptein NMC Compass Core” models for the first time from June 24 to 26. Both are designed to be particularly lightweight, while the “Core” version is also aimed at price-sensitive projects. The manufacturer is thereby expanding the Kaptein series, which was launched last fall with the “Kaptein NMC Navigator”.
“We are continuously developing our battery systems – based on customer feedback and practical requirements,” said Kilian Hoffmann, CCO at Tesvolt Ocean. “Together, Navigator, Compass Core and Compass cover different needs – from high-performance propulsion to retrofitting ships with very limited installation space.”
Lightweight battery storage systems from Tesvolt Ocean
With a length of 60.5 cm and a height of 14.9 cm, the new storage solutions fit into almost any niche on a ship. At 5 or 5.9 kg per kWh, they are also significantly lighter than other standard batteries on the market, which weigh at least 7 kg per kWh.
Like the Navigator battery modules, the new battery modules can be installed individually and at any angle on the ship. The vibration-resistant modules can even be installed on the floor and walked on. Thanks to their low weight of 75 or 86 kg, they can be carried by two people and installed in hard-to-reach areas of the vessel, eliminating the need for a crane. The battery system is designed so that cooling by the ambient air is sufficient, simplifying installation and reducing maintenance costs.
“Many ship owners find the charging times of commercially available batteries too long. Most marine-approved batteries don’t even have a continuous C-rate of 2 C,” says Kent Thoresen, CTO of Tesvolt Ocean. “At 4 C, our entire Kaptein series offers the highest continuous C-rate available in the maritime industry to date. For shipowners, this means significantly shorter loading times and therefore less downtime in port. This is important because only a moving ship earns money.”
The Compass Core was developed for ship projects with particularly limited budgets. At 5.9 kg per kWh, it is slightly heavier than the Compass and Navigator models but correspondingly more affordable. The battery system is scheduled to be launch in the 3rd quarter of this year.
“With its 5 kg per kWh, the Compass is our absolute lightweight hero. It is therefore suitable for all ship projects where the weight of the battery system plays a particularly important role,” Hoffmann continues. “The Navigator, on the other hand, still has the highest performance and therefore the longest range.” The Compass should be available at the beginning of next year.
Great demand for electric drives
“The demand for sophisticated battery systems for clean marine propulsion systems is huge, which was also very clear at the Maritime Industry trade fair in Gorinchem,” says Michael Miebach, Key Account Manager at Tesvolt Ocean. This is not surprising, as more and more ports are no longer allowing ships without clean propulsion systems to enter. “Once again, we have noticed that our Kaptein series offers real solutions to a whole range of problems that operators currently have with the propulsion of their ships.”
