Innovative mobile device connects ships

One of the keys to meeting the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) goal of zero-carbon cruises worldwide by 2050 is to switch from diesel engines to shore power in port. Although the technology can significantly reduce emissions to combat climate change and improve air quality, one barrier to adoption has been the challenge of efficiently connecting vessels of different sizes and shapes to shore power with cables and devices on piers.

Although fixed systems exist for connecting ships to port shore power, the options are complex, expensive and occupy valuable pier space. Repositioning a fixed system to accommodate vessels of different sizes and configurations can take several days.

Now, an innovative, low-cost Mobile Cable Positioning Device (CPD) makes shore power connections easier by strategically routing wiring to the ideal location. The first unit has already been delivered for use in the port of San Diego, California.

“The Mobile CPD is a mobile aerial work platform on a turret that rotates 360 degrees that we’ve converted from a Genie lift to an electrified cable positioner,” explains Mike Watts, President and Founder of Watts Marine of Kingston, WA Innovator and integrator of shore power technology systems who developed the Mobile CPD in cooperation with European partner companies Hybeko and IGUS.

Watts Marine has installed shore power systems in ports in Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Halifax, Vancouver BC, Brooklyn and Long Beach. The company supplies shore power systems for large oceangoing vessels such as cruise ships, tugboats and ferries and currently operates 10 of the 12 systems in North America. Today, around 500 ships per year are connected to the company’s shore power systems.

The company covers every step of the shore power process, from helping the marine industry navigate through the intricacies of regulatory advice to design, construction, heavy equipment installation and system operation and maintenance. The company’s shore power system consists of proprietary equipment designed specifically for the cruise ship industry. This includes equipment for dual voltage electrical operation, custom designed electrical cable handling, and electronic monitoring and control.

In 2009, Watts Marine developed a ‘fixed’ CPD with a small footprint that offered some flexibility in providing shore power. However, the new mobile design simplifies moving the system around to accommodate docked ships of all sizes and configurations. The Mobile Cable Locator can be used with all shore power systems, not just Watts marine installations.

“What the industry needed was a mobile device that could be strategically positioned where the ship is docked and then moved to assist another ship, say, 60 feet away,” says Watts. Of course, with a fixed system this is not possible and it can take days to move it if the need arises.”

The unit is designed to allow the operator to strategically position the Mobile CPD and then connect to shore power cables at the rear while the cables are extended from the end of the boom. The ship’s crew can then reach out, pull in the power cords and plug them into their junction box.

According to Watts, the Mobile CPD has also been redesigned so its hydraulic power unit (HPU) is powered by a battery instead of a diesel engine, which is more environmentally friendly.

Now the hoist, jib and winch movement are all electrically powered – just like the vessels in port while shore power is connected.

The development of mobile CPD may be what the shipping industry needs today to ramp up its efforts to decarbonize operations with the ability to connect more ships each year.

“The Mobile Cable Positioning System is a game changer for ports and will make it easier for a variety of vessels to connect to shore power,” says Watts.

Once connected to the mobile CPD or a fixed system, Watts Marine’s shore operator selects the vessel to connect from the database in the automation system, which determines the correct operational parameters. Protective relays and redundant safety systems ensure the safety of ship and shore electrical systems.

Watts Marine’s custom software allows specialists at its dedicated control center in Seattle to monitor every connection. All of the ship’s systems will then run on shore power instead of the diesel engines, virtually eliminating fuel emissions in port.

While meeting CLIA’s decarbonization initiatives may seem daunting, the availability of mobile cable locators can cost-effectively facilitate the use of shore power for a variety of vessels in port. This combination is an important step in achieving the organization’s goals and addressing climate change for ports and the shipping industry.