Royal Huisman Shipyards is renowned for producing luxury yachts. The Royal Yacht Ethereal is a 58M luxury yacht and has been in service since 2009, initially fitted with Valence Rev 1 U27- 12XP battery systems.
The Ethereal yacht features the first true hybrid solution installed on a yacht, with its 500kWh LFP battery bank (chosen for its safety) resting under the corridor to the aft cabins. It is a system that, after more than 10 years of usage, still worked as planned.
The batteries, charged and discharged thousands of times, were all original when the yacht completed its 10-year survey and no recommendations to change any of them were made.
The batteries are used for silent operation of the vessel, a generator-free night at anchor or for peak shaving.
Project Overview:
The original Valence batteries, installed in 2009, were manufactured in 2007, and due to the excellent performance, and satisfaction with the batteries, the customer retained them in service well beyond their expected lifetime. It wasn’t until 2019 that Royal Huisman began an upgrade program to replace the ageing Rev 1 battery system with DNV-GL approved U27-24XP battery modules. It should be noted that the instigation of the upgrade program was not due to a drop off in performance, just a perception that due to age the batteries should be replaced.
The upgrade program was completed in July 2021. The replacement batteries have been in service since this time, continuing to deliver safe reliable operation using the updated Valence BMS Rev 3 protocol, availing of the additional features that are provided with this.
Post completion of the upgrade program in 2021, Lithion took the opportunity to carry out state of health testing on a sample of the batteries that had been removed from the vessel. A sample of 21 batteries was returned to Lithion’s Belfast facility, where they were tested for functionality, charge acceptance and capacity. The results were exceptional, as the 14-year-old batteries retained, on average, around 71% of initial capacity. All batteries were fully functional and are in the process of being repurposed by the customer to provide many more years of service in another application.
Benefits:
Reliability _ The Valence brand is globally recognized for its reliability. The Ethereal yacht has benefited from many years of uninterrupted service thanks to the quality and reliability of the battery system that was initially installed, and the subsequent system installed during the upgrade.
Safety _ As safety is paramount, choosing the Valence LFP battery modules is an obvious choice. The DNV approved modules and BMS continue to be a safe choice for marine applications. This has been a key consideration for the customer.
Long Life _ The Valence battery modules, using the LFP chemistry, are renowned for long life, typically exceeding expectations, when operated within recommended specifications.
Cost _ Due to the factors above, the through life cost of installing a Valence battery system has proven to be very cost effective.
Lithion's Role and Expertise:
Integral to the success of projects like the Yacht Ethereal is the underlying battery technology. Lithion have over two decades of experience in the battery industry and are adept at creating custom solutions, catering to specific needs, and specific certification requirements, making them an invaluable partner for marine customers.
Lithion’s key offerings include:
Lithion Battery is honored that market leaders like Royal Huisman continue to use our safe, reliable products. This is testament to the quality and performance of the batteries and the customer’s confidence in the product.
