Benjamin will be working closely with Dr Richard Wills and Prof Andrew Cruden to deliver a comprehensive review of the potential use of such batteries and systems. He will carry out a 'horizon scan' of the existing and likely technologies pertaining to high density batteries applicable to the maritime industry and identify standards and regulations applicable from other sectors. His research will aim to shed light on the viability of different battery technologies in the maritime sector, taking into consideration the technical limitations as well as environmental and financial costs of a move towards the wide spread uptake of battery technology in the diverse UK Flagged fleet. The MCA will use this information to inform their thinking and offer various stakeholders in the maritime sector guidance on adopting these new technological developments where helpful.
As a result of the ongoing collaboration between the University of Southampton’s Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) and the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), PPS is pleased to announce that Benjamin Craig, PhD Researcher in Energy Storage and Applications within Engineering, and Chartered Engineer with the IMechE, will be seconded to the MCA to respond to evidence needs relating to the use of high density batteries and hybrid drive systems in the maritime sector.
In addition to Benjamin’s project, Dr Wills and Prof Cruden are providing short term support on the 'safety risks' related to Lithium-ion Battery technology both in general and for the maritime sector, specifically for application to workboats. This will likely lead on to a more holistic review of safety risks across the fleet as well as identifying potential fire suppression systems that are available and how these could mitigate the risks. The outcomes of these two projects will feed into the MCA’s ambitions to review current regulations and ‘best practices’ and support the update of the future regulations to understand the risks and put mitigations in place.