A Singapore-based charging company needed 1 MW of reliable ship charging power built for the long term. The answer was an integrated DC system with no weak links in the energy chain.
A Singapore-based charging company reached out to HNordic with a clear brief: deliver a reliable, high-capacity charging solution for commercial vessels operating at a local industrial port. The target was 1 MW of available charging power, and the solution needed to be built for the long term.
Our response was an integrated DC system combining renewable generation, advanced energy storage, and high-efficiency power delivery.
Energy generation
For energy generation, we specified four vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) with a combined output of 200 kW. VAWTs are well-suited to port environments, where wind direction is variable, and space is constrained. They operate quietly, require minimal maintenance, and perform consistently across a wide range of wind conditions.
Energy storage
The energy storage component was built around supercapacitors rather than conventional lithium battery technology. The reason is straightforward: supercapacitors are rated for over 35,000 charge-discharge cycles, which, at typical port operating patterns, translate to a service life well above 30 years. This removes the battery replacement cost that undermines the economics of most energy storage projects over time.
Power delivery
The charging interface itself is a 1 MW DC-to-DC charger. This is where the design philosophy of the whole system comes together. By keeping the entire charging chain in DC from generation through storage to delivery, we eliminate the conversion losses that accumulate in AC-coupled systems. Power from the turbines and the supercapacitor bank reaches the vessel with minimal degradation. In high-demand applications like ship charging, where you are moving large amounts of energy in relatively short windows, that efficiency advantage is significant both technically and commercially.
The result
DC-to-DC charging capacity at the berth.
Combined VAWT generation across four turbines.
Charge-discharge cycles rated for the supercapacitor storage bank.
Service life at typical port operating patterns -- no battery replacement required.
The result is a system designed to last as long as the energy infrastructure, with no weak links in the energy chain.
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will work through the options with you.
Get in touch Back to Projects