Vard wins ESS deal for Simon Møkster PSV pair

Vard Electro has signed two new contracts with Simon Møkster Shipping which will result in the vessels Stril Orion and Stril Polar scheduled to be hybrid ready by the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, qualifying them for DNV’s Battery Power notation.

Simon Møkster Shipping has ordered SeaQ Energy Storage System from technology company Vard Electro, enhancing the company’s efficiency and environmental performance. Since 2016 Vard Electro has installed its SeaQ battery technology onboard vessels all around the world.

The contracts cover a retrofit, deckhouse energy storage system for hybrid battery power onboard the two platform supply vessels. The company will be responsible for the entire project which includes engineering, steel prefabrication, installation, integration, testing, and commissioning. Planning and installation will be carried out in close collaboration with Simon Møkster Shipping to ensure minimum off-hire days.

The SeaQ ESS stores excess energy available in the vessels to use it later to reduce fuel consumption and optimize vessel performance.  It facilitates for operations with fewer engines online, and the engines online can operate at a more optimal load. Safety is increased due to the batteries’ ability to supply immediate energy in critical situations.

Control and monitoring of the hybrid system is handled by the SeaQ EMS and the SeaQ PMS, communicating with existing control systems onboard. SeaQ ESS includes modes for peak shaving, spinning reserve and zero emission transit. By using the batteries to absorb and dispense energy through load fluctuations and running the engines at optimal load, significant efficiency improvements in fuel consumption and emission can be achieved.

“We are glad to be partnering up with Vard Electro for a second time. With a goal to further increase our fleet’s fuel efficiency and to become more environmentally friendly, Vard Electro and their SeaQ technology was a natural choice for us”, said Tom Karlsen, Chief Technology Officer at Simon Møkster Shipping.

“We are excited to once again have been chosen to deliver our SeaQ Energy Storage System onboard two of Simon Møkster Shipping’s platform supply vessels. We have a solid competence in battery installations, and as a total supplier we can facilitate the installation of battery solutions with minimum downtime. We are proud that Simon Møkster Shipping reverted to us for our SeaQ solutions, and we warmly welcome them back”, said Johan Stavik, Sales Manager at Vard Electro.