Battery Energy Storage For Norwegian Electric Ferries

Nidec ASI, the Nidec Industrial Solutions platform of the Nidec Group, said it has supplied battery energy storage systems (BESS) for the latest vessel developed by Brødrene Aa, a Norwegian shipbuilding company. Nidec has implemented a BESS solution which allows the Seasight IV ship to sail electrically and silently.

The project is in response to the need to comply with a decision of the Norwegian Parliament that by 2026, will restrict the movement of vessels within the fjords to electric ferries only, creating zero-emission waterways.

Seasight is a catamaran characterized by a design, inspired by the Norwegian paths that zig-zag up the steep mountain slopes. The vessel gives passengers a chance to admire the scenery of the Norwegian fjords on the external decks that surround the internal lounge.

This new vessel represents the third collaboration between Nidec ASI and Brødrene Aa. Together they have already designed and launched two other catamarans: one hybrid, the Vision of the Fjords, and one fully electric Future of the Fjord, which carry tourists along the coast of Norway.

Specifically, as with the two previous Seasight vessels Nidec ASI worked on, the company provided the BESS solutions with two 1200kW-1009kWh systems for a total of 2018kWh (2.4MW), symmetrically located on the port and starboard.

What Nidec says makes the Seasight IV‘s system unique is the rack modules set-up, greater than that on the sister ships and significantly improved on a technical level. Nidec also supplied the data recording equipment, the battery management system and a closed-circuit air-cooling system that works with an air-water heat exchanger.