The adaptable energy platform

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued an Operational Energy Strategy (OES) with ambition targets for energy independence and improvement of energy efficiency during the life time of naval platforms. A target is given in 2030 of 20 % reduced dependence on fossil fuels and in 2050 of 70 % reduced dependence on fossil fuels, compared to 2010. More stringent environmental emission (NOx, CO2, etc.) requirements are to be expected as a result from IMO and (local) political regulations.

In the last decades the power consumption on board of naval platforms increased substantially as well as the complexity of integrated energy systems. Market surveys shows that the evolution of commercial green technologies are promising but have to be demonstrated in the coming years on low power and energy levels. They will not be de-risked in depth or well proven to be successful in time to be selected for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) new naval projects (2019 – 2025).

Furthermore, new technologies as energy resources and carriers (H2, LNG, methanol, power-to-liquid (PTL), etc.) or new system technologies (DC on high voltage level, fuel cell systems, waste energy recovery, etc.) require a new approach for integration aspects like hazard and safety cases and energy efficiency. This is because the energy demand on board of naval platforms in several military operational modes differ from the merchant and off-shore branch.

In this paper an approach for an adaptable energy platform is described to design a new naval platform based on nowadays proven technology as fossil fuels that can be transformed during life time that can fulfill the expectations and requirements of the coming decades (non-fossil fuels, zero emission, improved energy efficiency). Aspects as a naval energy index as reference will be discussed as well as an evaluation of new technologies for new naval platform integration design parameters, such as power or energy demands, consequences of energy resources, energy control as well as build in ship construction safety measures.