Dear friends!

When I visited China Wind Power 2018 a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see how the offshore wind business was taking off. Products are being developed in China for upcoming 8 to 10 MW turbines, and the technology of choice seems to be either direct-drive or medium-speed permanent magnet generators. This confirms the fact that we’ve been on the right track for offshore, as we’ve worked for over a decade to pioneer the way forward for viable offshore wind power.

BLOGS

Five benefits of The Switch DC-Hub

Changing a ship’s power distribution from an AC grid to a DC grid is now the most viable option for efficient and sustainable power distribution. Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch provides the marine industry with the smartest solution for a multi-megawatt DC power system – The Switch DC-Hub. What it delivers is fuel and cost savings along with reliability. Its scope includes power generation, energy storage, charging, propulsion power and clean power, making it a game changer for the future of shipping.

If your goal is to produce, transfer and consume energy in the most efficient way, get to know 5 benefits The Switch DC-Hub brings to ships.

Redundant power – a lifesaver for ships

Imagine being on a ship in a storm at night along a rocky coast. Then you lose all power. A total blackout! For this reason, power systems aboard vessels are often split into parallel redundant units to ensure power production and the ship’s safety. Although good for safety reasons, this increases the number of components, takes up space and escalates installment and maintenance costs.

Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch has a fresh approach to creating redundancy. Read how Dr. Jussi Puranen describes how we have tackled the redundancy issue of ships.

NEWS

Viking Princess eliminates generator thanks to DC-Hub

Finland, October 29, 2018 – Eidesvik’s offshore supply vessel Viking Princess can now operate with only three generators instead of four after a pioneering retrofit of an energy storage solution with an advanced The Switch DC-Hub at its heart. The move will help the 5,381 GWT ship save around a ton of fuel every day.

“These systems are currently on numerous vessels within the fleet, and Eidesvik was keen to invest in this trailblazing technology.”
Asbjørn Halsebakke, General Manager, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch Norway.

North Sea Giant turns to The Switch EBL technology

Finland, October 18, 2018 – North Sea Giant, one of the world’s largest and most advanced subsea construction vessels, has installed an innovative cost-saving solution. This system, based on a unique Electronic Bus Link (EBL) from Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch, will enable the 18,151 GWT vessel to change between its diesel engines, running just one of its diesel engines during many operations, when necessary, rather than the standard three it used at all times in the past.

“For owners that want to optimize efficiency, operational uptime, cost control and reduce their environmental footprint, The Switch Electronic Bus Link (EBL) is the perfect solution.”
Asbjørn Halsebakke, General Manager, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch Norway.

Preparing for the pathway to grid parity

The key message of China Wind Power 2018 was “Preparing for the pathway to grid parity.” In China, as well as in other parts of the world where wind power is growing strongly, the primary means to reach better parity are lowering the cost of energy, deploying large-power offshore wind drive train systems and after-sales services.

Ordering extensive study from Lappeenranta University of Technology

Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) have agreed to collaborate on an extensive study in which LUT will help develop next generation technology for power electronics. The research will take an estimated 1.5 years to complete and is the highest-value study the university has ever conducted for a single company.

“LUT has had a long history in cooperating with us, but this is the first research project that is being financed directly from the headquarters in Japan.”
Panu Kurronen, CTO, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch.

The largest marine contract with DC-Hubs and frequency converters

Finland, September 5, 2018 – Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch has signed a contract to provide 16 DC-Hubs and 32 frequency converters for a revolutionary new shuttle tanker concept developed by Teekay and Wärtsilä. The agreement is the biggest marine contract for us since entering the segment in 2013. The four tankers will be built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.

“We feel there is a growing demand for smarter, more sustainable operations, and this concept from Teekay and Wärtsilä embodies that drive.”
Asbjørn Halsebakke, General Manager, Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch Norway.