Batteries: A Technology of Positive Change and Adaptation - MBF Board Member, Arnstein Eknes (DNV)
In this exclusive and intriguing interview, the MBF’s newest Board Member and Global Segment Director for Offshore Service Vessels and Special Ships at DNV, Arnstein Eknes paints a vivid picture of his history with the growth and development of batteries in the maritime industry, supporting the creation of the Maritime Battery Forum and his call for orchestrated, collaborative effort, if the industry wants to acclerate the energy transition through or with batteries.
MBF - Please introduce yourself and your company
Arnstein Eknes - I’m Arnstein Eknes, Global segment director for offshore service vessels and special ships with DNV.
MBF - How does your job relate to maritime batteries?
A.E - The ship types which I am responsible for in DNV are operating with large variation in power demand and frequent transient loads. My customers are among the first movers towards using batteries. Many of them need a lot of power installed to cater for the combination of high requirements to reliability & availability (often a trigger for redundancy) combined with tough weather conditions. And then in practice they often operate in softer weather conditions where only a fraction of the installed power is needed. Hence with large variations in power demand they are ideal candidates for hybridization and efficient use of battery systems. For me to be relevant to my customers I need to understand the opportunities provided by relevant technologies, and how this may impact their operations. I do spend quite some time to share info about the benefits of operating battery and hybrid systems with owners and other stakeholders in this industry.
MBF - What drew you to maritime battery technology?
A.E - This technology is making it possible to fully electrify some ships and ship types. But also making it possible for any ship out there to use the energy already being onboard more efficiently. Hence: when I understood the benefits of hybridization, and the role of energy storage in this, I also understood that there is no future without some kind of batteries involved. Electrification is a clear trend in several industries for many reasons, and in most cases, it is difficult to execute unless energy storage is an essential part of the solution.
MBF - There are many organizations promoting decarbonization in the maritime industry, why did you choose the MBF?
A.E - Ten years back I was one of the persons asking for an organization as MBF to be established and was supporting those that established the MBF. If we’re going to accelerate the energy transition, we must build the instruments that promote the positive change and adaption to new technology rather than waiting for something to happen. To identify promoters of new technology and remove possible industry barriers limiting safe adoption require collaborative approach more than individual “un-orchestrated activities”. This is why I think we all can benefit from having MBF as an active organization. The role to connect people with interest in energy storage & battery technology is important, together with the task of maintaining a register of projects and user cases. Sharing insight, whether it is about benefits versus challenges of using batteries is important. Companies that are willing to share insight towards safe adoption and use of the technology, but also focused on removing barriers that may exist of the wrong reason, will accelerate learning to make the industry more efficient.
MBF - Contributing your knowledge and simply collaborating with other members was possibly sufficient. Why did you choose to become a board member?
This is a good question, and I think the timing now is good for several reasons. Recognizing that the very first battery projects could happen almost anywhere, it is fair to state the scaling of this industry was initiated in Norway. Mainly due to the immediate benefits this would have for ferries crossing fjords where hydropower was easily available, and a public sector being willing to support and incentivize zero emission projects to create a change. The European mindset to drive change through regulations made it natural to further expand towards Europe which today is the “core base” of the MBF members. Today we have members in MBF from many countries outside Europe, hence the original ambition to make this an organization with global reach is getting very important. And to help accelerating use of efficient technologies globally, by working on a strategic level also for MBF, made it natural to engage also in the board.
Now we need to discuss how to maintain the best of MBF while reaching more global, while still being even more relevant to capture what is unique in a regional or local context (growing business in the US or in e.g. Asia is very different than in the EU. On a personal note: knowing that battery systems are key to significantly reduce emissions also for offshore vessels and make the onboard power plant more responsive to fluctuating loads, I have spent a lot of time to share this knowledge when travelling internationally. Hence, I see a clear need to bring the capabilities of MBF to new markets to expand but also to learn.
“ If we’re going to accelerate the energy transition, we must build the instruments that promote the positive change and adaption to new technology rather than waiting for something to happen. To identify promoters of new technology and remove possible industry barriers limiting safe adoption require collaborative approach more than individual “un-orchestrated activities”. This is why I think we all can benefit from having MBF as an active organization.”
MBF - Looking back at developments in battery technology over the last ten years, what for you could be considered the most significant steps in the right direction?
A.E - By collecting information about user cases – and sharing these through conferences – I do think this has helped to accelerate the acceptance of batteries. Networking among interested parties is helping to shorten the time to share and develop new insight. The log of projects and visibility through the Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform stored on Veracity, where MBF is populating relevant data for ships with batteries, also make it possible to have a fact-based dialogue with anyone who may doubt if they are “too early” or “who else are doing this”. And finally: questions or arguments about “why / or why not” are important. The most recent WATTSUP conference arranged by the MBF brought forward important lessons learned, not to hide but to share. This kind of collaboration is, in my opinion a better mechanism to reduce risk for each individual company by being part of the MBF.
MBF - What do you think is the future of batteries in the maritime industry?
A.E - Knowing that batteries today are not the same kind of batteries we had years ago, I expect the battery technology to continue to evolve and change. I expect the energy density to improve, the cost per unit will most likely continue to decline. Hopefully new types of chemistry will make them even safer and more reliable. We should remember that the challenge to decarbonize shipping is a major challenge for long haul and deep-sea shipping where new fuels will be essential. And then for short sea shipping and multiple of special vessels I think we will see batteries and onboard storage solutions of electricity much more accepted than today. Only few years back people only talked about “bunkering” of fuel, now they also talk about “charging” indicating this is also a future where the infrastructure is a key.
MBF - What, in your opinion, are some of the biggest challenges to the maritime battery industry?
A.E - The obvious one is to convince the market that batteries are a natural part of any future power plant onboard any kind of vessel. Meaning to spread insight and knowledge about how batteries work, and how they may contribute to improve the operations and the business case. The industry is filled with people with their own perception of what is possible or not, and perception about high investment costs and higher safety risk is still a challenge. And maybe right so as the savings may occur in a different budget or for those paying the fuel and not for those making the investment. Some consider future savings less valuable than savings today, hence the economic reality among those ordering new vessels will have a large demand impact on the battery industry.
The focus on environment, societal and governance (ESG) is important, and any supplier of any system need to understand that lack of transparency represent a challenge that will slow down future potential for growth. Questions addressing supply chain, source of minerals, full supply chain traceability and ability to re-circulate etc will hence remain essential for the battery industry.
MBF - What do you think can increase the adoption rate of maritime batteries?
A.E - The obvious one is to answer lower cost, safer & more capable technology, and easier to implement. And more customers or charterers asking for new tech to be taken into use, maybe even willing to pay more or provide other incentives (e.g. longer contracts). However, to achieve a significant increase in adoption rate we need to understand how standardization is a major component in this: Standardization of the solutions being offered to the market, the batteries and their essential systems, and the interfaces between different systems or technologies. Maritime customers are often used to decide or influence almost everything and have a large freedom in selection of equipment and maker. This combined with more software driven systems move the integration challenge to system integrators.
Majority of shipping will need another fuel to carry sufficient energy for the planned voyage, hence majority of shipping will consider batteries as part of a hybrid system (and not the only system). Modularization and opportunity to combine in hybrid with other technologies is hence a key element when defining “what to standardize”. Make sure you give the customer a choice – but only give the choices that can play well together with the rest of the system. This could mean we also should focus more on standardization among system integrators on the process of assurance and verification of compliance.
Another key element to increase adoption could be financial support or other incentives towards those using batteries. Financial incentives will drive behavior and combined with onshore private/public infrastructure investments in shore power capability this may be a trigger to influence more companies to implement such technology faster.
MBF - Where do you see the Maritime Battery Forum in the next five years?
A.E - I see the battery forum, established 10 years ago, becoming more of a global forum with members from new regions and all continents. We will not only discuss maritime batteries but energy storage as concepts in a wider context supporting industry decarbonization. We will be a catalyst for industry collaboration, working on subjects of shared interest to accelerate uptake of new technologies and new fuels. We will benefit from the learning in other industries using batteries – and can also look back at successful projects where better standards are in place – helping to scale in a safe manner. Shore power and offshore power are becoming “standard”, and electrification is accepted as an efficient way to reduce emissions & improve regularity in the industry.