A pure electric tugboat successfully underwent a test at the Lianyungang Port in east China's Jiangsu Province to conduct a vessel-to-grid power discharge on Thursday, marking a new step in the integration of clean-energy vessels with smart port power systems.
During the test, the pure electric tugboat "Yungang Electric Tug No. 9" discharged electricity back into the grid through an intelligent microgrid system.
The seven-hour trial led to the discharge of 560 kilowatt-hours of electricity from the tugboat to the grid, with the discharge power standing at 80 kilowatts. The test also overcame challenges related to stable high-power charging and discharging operations in a humid and saline marine environment.
"We are currently developing high-voltage direct-current, high-power discharge technology. Once completed, a pure electric tugboat will be able to feed more than 5,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity back into the grid within just one to three hours. So far, four pure electric tugboats are currently in operation at the Lianyungang Port, forming a mobile energy storage cluster with a combined capacity of 20,000 kilowatt-hours," said Zhu Guangqing, deputy director of the marketing department of State Grid Lianyungang Power Supply Company.
According to port authorities, the Lianyungang Port has established a green microgrid embedded across various production processes. Electrified equipment throughout the port can operate in a coordinated and interactive manner, ensuring safe, economical and efficient operations.
Pure electric tugboat undergoes test to supply power back to grid at east China port
