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Description
Bars Elekter is an electrical installation and service supplier undertaking assignments for the international maritime, offshore and shipyard industries, where they have extensive experience in engineering activities, electrical installations, building electrical and communication networks and servicing different machines and electrical devices. They are expected to gain a 30% market share in the field of shore-side connection solutions for older cargo ships in the Baltic Sea region. The project was initiated because until very recently ships in ports would exclusively use diesel generators to power their auxiliary systems, which produces unnecessary CO2 and other harmful emissions, to avoid that, ships need to be fitted with shore-side power connection systems. Some solutions are on the market, but their dimensions are too large to be fitted on many ships, where space comes at a premium, or the voltage of them does not match the requirements of many ships. Bars Elekter is developing a solution that is more compact, supports higher voltages and therefore solves a significant issue on the market. The objective of the project is to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport field.
The expected outcome of the project is finishing the development of an electrical panel with an ICT-component for ships to connect to a shore-side power supply. The developed solution shall help eliminate CO2 emissions from the diesel generators of ships while in ports, because when using the electrical panel, ships can be connected to a shore-side power supply, which can supply emissions free renewable electricity to the ships. The main target groups to benefit from the novel solution are ship operators and producers, and ports.
Summary of project results
Project tackled the challenge of reducing the CO2 emissions in the field of transportation. This was done by developing a modern switchboard solution with an ICT component, which allows ships to connect to the high-voltage shore connection system and thereby eliminate the CO2 emissions of the ships’ auxiliary systems from the port area and reduce CO2 emissions on diesel ships.
Within the framework of the project, solution flow and help diagrams were created, which describe the functionality of the program that enables the solution to function, providing the programmers with the necessary inputs. A general system description was prepared by defining the signals used, their operation and the interrelationships of the operations.
Profiling and analysis of the created algorithms optimized the operation and performance of the program, ensuring the regular operation of the system and avoiding failures. The main phase of software and visualization creation ended with the completion of the software and UI necessary for the operation of the shore-based solution. In the following phases, software testing took place. A software testing and deployment plan was drawn up on the ship, and the created software was tested, identified and removed errors. As a result of the activity, the smooth operation of the program was ensured, the main errors were analyzed and solutions were found for their removal and ongoing improvement.
In addition, operation instructions and manuals were prepared for the solution, which provide users with a clear overview of the system''s operating principles and usage options. Maintenance instructions and manuals were also prepared, which were necessary for regular maintenance of the system and prevention of possible problems.
Testing of the solution ensured the actual functionality of the system in a real environment. The testing included performance tests and specific tests aimed at checking different aspects of the system and their interaction. As a result of the project, the solution was installed on MS Isabelle and connected to its systems, which allows the ship to connect to shore-based electricity and use on-board systems without burning fossil fuels. All activities planned in the project were implemented and the goals were achieved.
A solution has been developed as planned, which will reduce CO2 emissions on diesel ships by 2,958 tonnes per year for one ship. In the case of this specific project, the CO2 emission reduction is even greater, as MS Isabelle will be connected to shore-side electricity 24/7, and the annual emission reduction will amount to almost 14,788 tonnes per year.