An ABB study based on three years of operational ship data mounts the compelling case for integrating battery power onboard modern icebreakers, Samuli Hänninen, who specializes in icebreaking vessels at ABB Marine & Ports, tells The Motorship.

The maritime industry is still at the formative stage of realizing the gains available from batteries, but the ability to scale up to megawatt-hour levels is not the only attraction for the zero-emission technology. Evidence newly disclosed by ABB suggests that the improvements made to power efficiency and responsiveness can make a decisive difference for the performance of icebreakers operating in extreme conditions.