UK shipowner Carisbrooke Shipping is trialling solar energy cells on the deck of one of its multi-purpose vessels.
The company has partnered with compatriot Grafmarine to trial its NanoDeck AI Solar tile management solution
“NanoDeck challenges the current reliance on fossil fuels by providing a clean and sustainable alternative renewable source of energy which can be attached to any flat surface – in this case, a cargo vessel – to capture, store and remotely manage clean energy generation via AI solar technology,” said Grafmarine founder Martin Leigh.
The tiles can be fitted to both new and existing vessels with Grafmarine aiming to commercialise the system next year.
Grafmarine also has test locations in the Celtic Sea via the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapults (ORE) new test buoy at the Marine Energy Test Area (META), as well as a sustainable smart-port platform in the Port of Tyne.
A spokesperson for Carisbrooke said: “We are pleased to assist Grafmarine by offering them a test platform where their new NanoDeck solution can collect data during real voyages under differing weather conditions and latitudes.”
During a current voyage from Scotland to West Africa and back the NanoDeck has sent live data, enabling Grafmarine to make further improvements and efficiency gains whilst understanding how the equipment will withstand the rigours of the marine environment.
Carisbrooke has made it clear it is willing to try many new forms of energy to reduce its carbon footprint.
Last month, Splash reported Carisbrooke Shipping has partnered with Carnot whose consortium has been awarded £2.3m ($2.75m) to develop a zero-emission 50kW hydrogen auxiliary engine demonstrator.
Following design, simulations and testing, the single-fuel hydrogen engine will be integrated into a containerised system and mounted on the deck of one of Carisbrooke’s vessels for a 40-day sea trial in early 2025 to partially supply electrical power to the vessel.
