Dutch solar pioneer in shipping Wattlab partnered with HGK Shipping to introduce the world’s first hybrid solar powered inland vessel, The Blue Marlin. With 192 solar panels, the vessel not only powers onboard equipment but also its high-voltage electric propulsion, which is a giant step towards environmentally friendly inland shipping.
HGK Shipping is Europe’s premier inland waterway shipping company, with a fleet of over 350 vessels carrying some 43 million tonnes annually. Wattlab has teamed up previously with HGK on the MS Helios, which gained the Guinness World Record for the largest solar panel installation on a solar powered inland vessel at 312 panels. The Blue Marlin system is even more sophisticated.
“The Blue Marlin’s 192 solar panels are not only connected to the low-voltage onboard systems but also to the high-voltage propulsion network. This means that HGK Shipping can proudly state that they are the first inland shipping company to operate a vessel that uses solar power directly for propulsion”, said David Kester, Wattlab’s co-founder and COO.
The solar array delivers up to 35 kilowatts and works in combination with four diesel generators. The hybrid setup is equipped with automated energy management and peak shaving, reducing fuel consumption by preventing unnecessary running of the generators during peak periods.
Kester added, “Furthermore, in situations where the ship is lightly loaded and travelling downstream, we anticipate that it may even sail using only solar power for limited periods—an unprecedented achievement in the inland shipping sector.”
Tim Gödde, Director of Ship Management at HGK, commented, “The Blue Marlin now goes one step further by also using solar energy for the power train. It makes another important contribution to making shipping, which is already a low-emission mode of transport, even more sustainable. We are proud to pioneer the use of solar propulsion in inland shipping.”
De Gerlien van Tiem shipyard fitted the solar installation with joint partners Blommaert Aluminium and Van Tiem Electro, noting a streamlined and low-downtime fitting. The project notes the growing viability of scalable solar solutions for maritime decarbonisation for inland waterway, coastal, and seagoing ships.
