Wärtsilä will supply its Wärtsilä HY Module, a containerized hybrid battery power and energy storage system to Maersk Supply Service, the Denmark-based provider of offshore marine services and integrated solutions for the global energy sector.

The Wärtsilä system will support Maersk’s goal of reducing the carbon intensity of its fleet by 50% before the end of this decade. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in May 2021.

The hybrid power conversion will be carried out on the Maersk Minder, a deep-water anchor-handling tug-supply (AHTS) vessel during the early part of 2022. This is believed to be the world’s first AHTS hybrid battery conversion.

AHTS vessels are mainly used to move oil rigs and platforms, and for the handling and laying of the anchors to secure them. AHTS vessels sometimes also serve as Emergency Response and Rescue Vessels (ERRVs) and as supply transports.

The expectation is that the Wärtsilä HY system will decrease fuel consumption, and therefore also carbon emissions, by 15%. The conversion will also reduce the vessel’s maintenance requirements while increasing operational performance.

The main system components of the HY system are the hybrid drive, the energy storage system (ESS), and the transformer. Control and monitoring of the hybrid system is handled by the energy management system (EMS). Together, the system achieves peak shaving, spinning reserve, and significant efficiency improvement by running the engines at optimal load and using the batteries to absorb a large proportion of the load fluctuations.

Wärtsilä has also supplied the full engine room scope for this vessel, including the engines, thrusters, propeller arrangement, seals and bearings, as well as the integrated automation and planned maintenance systems.