Twelve partners from eight European countries have come together to drive forward a €10.2m ($11.1m) project that will demonstrate a full DC electrical grid concept on a real vessel.

The ALL-DC- SHIPS project will advance the electrification of maritime transport with a fully DC-based architecture, including the secondary network supplying hotel loads. There will be developments on power converters with wide bandgap components, solid-state protection devices and energy management systems for better overall efficiency.

Professor Pietro Tricoli from the University of Birmingham commented: “To support this [green] transition, shipboard power systems must integrate high-power components and protection devices more efficiently”

While some vessels have already incorporated DC primary grids, their secondary grids have largely remained based on traditional AC solutions.  

By integrating advanced components with existing power converters and protection devices in primary and secondary grids, the ALL-DC-SHIPS project aims to reduce the risk of blackouts due to faults, improving the overall reliability of the power system.

The ALL-DC-SHIPS project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme.