Increasing Interest in Electrification Technologies
GE Power Conversion showcased its complete range of electric ship technologies at IMDEX 2023 in Singapore, building upon decades of experience with the navies of 15 nations.
Solutions range from full naval specification, high voltage electric grids for power and propulsion, to cost-effective hybrid electrification options. Through integrated electrification, energy management, automation and control, power in the ship’s electric grid can simultaneously supply high-energy defence systems and propulsion. Energy-efficient electric architectures also serve as an effective way to integrate new, cleaner, energy sources as they emerge, and host digital technologies to implement more autonomous systems.
GE Power Conversion is reporting increased interest from customers seeking to better understand how they can best use energy across their fleets to create capability advantage. The company says there is a growing recognition that electrification is critical to new generations of networked mission systems and the right architecture to ‘plug-in’ new energy sources. “In an emerging new naval era, fleets need to be more mission configurable, highly capable for military advantage, adaptable for technology insertion and affordable. Increasing power demands on vessels means that more customers are seeking help in future-proofing their ships for higher energy needs, partnered by a roadmap to emissions reduction,” observed Shaopeng Ji, Commercial Operations Leader- Asia Pacific. “The Ship’s Electric Grid is hugely versatile, and electric drive ships are just as suited to smaller, lower voltage, more commercial-spec ships in naval and coastguard fleets as to the biggest, higher voltage combat ships. Both are able to combine power for propulsion and on-board equipment in one system. Electric and hybrid power systems are viable choices for modern, multi-role ships seeing increased mission system power demand but needing sustainable, energy-efficient performance for patrol duties”.
