Americas News
USCG Examining Battery Power for Use in Vessel Propulsion
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is looking into electric power sources in its pursuit of viable alternative fuels in the face of more stringent shipping emission regulations, IHS Fairplay reports.
The USCG "in the early stages of policy development to address lithium-ion battery hazards," said Stephen Lewis, an Electrical Engineer at USCG Marine Safety Center, in a report publish Wednesday, noting that current regulations on batteries address lead-acid hazards but not those related to lithium-ion batteries.
"Acceptance of such alternative arrangements is possible, if it is deemed that the design provides a level of safety equivalent to that established by current regulations."
The reports notes that the USCG Marine Safety Center will evaluate Li-ion battery installations on a case-by-case basis.
In June, Ship & Bunker reported that Harry Robertsson, technical director at Stena Group's (Stena) vessel design subsidiary, Stena Teknik, said Stena owners are also interested in the potential battery power may hold for powering its vessels.
