MARAD trials fuel cells for shoreside power
FEBRUARY 14, 2014 — The U.S. Maritime Administration is partnering with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Laboratories to explore the potential cost savings and emissions reductions through the use of hydrogen fuel cells to provide electrical power to ships at berths. This approach has the potential to offer a double bonus--first, allowing vessel operators to shut down diesel engines while in port, and second, using hydrogen fuel cells instead of carbon-based electrical power sources.
MARAD is providing $700,000 to support the construction of the first of its kind portable power system at the Port of Honolulu to convert hydrogen into electricity. This small fuel-cell system will generate 100 kilowatts of electricity to help power vessel on-board systems pier side for ships, tugs, and barges operating between the Hawaiian Islands.
After initial testing is completed, this unit will be available to all Port of Honolulu tenants when needed. Future testing may involve larger fuel cell units and the use of alternative fuels to provide power for vessels in other ports. And if successful, we could soon see emission-free hydrogen fuel-cells replacing diesel power and carbon-generated electricity in lake, river, and ocean ports across the country.
MARAD says that auxiliary power to docked ships, usually provided by on-board diesel engines, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, accounting for one-third to one-half of the in-port emissions attributed to ocean-going vessels. It says that currently hydrogen is also cost-competitive with traditional maritime fuel and that in where generators are often running at less than maximum power, hydrogen may offer an efficiency advantage that helps maritime businesses lower costs.
(译文参考：船舶管理部机务培训分析师 傅恒星译)
美国海事管理局试验用燃料电池作岸电
Feb.14，2014-美国海事管理局（MARAD）和能源部（DOE）及圣地亚国家实验室组成合作伙伴，共同探索、研究利用氢燃料电池为船舶靠泊期间提供电力，以此来实现降低成本、减少排放的潜能。该方案能够达到双赢的效果，首先，允许船舶操作者在靠泊期间停止柴油机运转，其次利用氢燃料电池代替传统的碳基（石油、煤炭等）做能源的电力供应源。
美国海事管理局（MARAD）提供＄700，000支持在火奴鲁鲁港建设第一款这种便携式，用氢燃料电池转换为电力的供电系统。这个小型燃料电池系统能产生100KW的电力，为在夏威夷群岛间作业的拖轮、加油船等靠泊期间提供电力。
一旦初始试验成功，在需要的时候，该供电单元可为火奴鲁鲁各港口的用户提供服务。未来还将测试功率更大的供电单元，为靠泊其他港口的船舶提供可替代燃油消耗的电力供应。如果试验取得成功，在不久的将来，我们很快能够看到遍布全国各海港、湖泊、河流港口，都将使用零排放的氢燃料电池替代以柴油和煤炭发电的模式。
美国海事管理局（MARAD）说，那些停泊船舶使用的辅助电源，通常由岸上的柴油发电机提供，很明显会产生温室气体排放和空气污染，统计数据表明，停港的温室气体排放中，有约1/3—1/2在由远洋海轮贡献。他说，相对于传统的由燃油转化为电能相比，氢电池在降低成本方面有一定优势，船舶的柴油发电机通常在低于最大功率下运行，氢燃料电池较高的效率优势有助于使航运企业降低成本。
