The Switch's first DC-Hub device delivery

According to The Switch, this revolutionary technology has obvious benefits in terms of fuel, cost and environmental compatibility, and is a priority for future shipowners.

When Switch entered the marine industry five years ago, it was mainly active in the field of wind farms. In November 2016, The Switch acquired the Norwegian Wartsila Drives and introduced the latter's technology and team to further strengthen its business in the marine sector. Based on the original power-driven solution, the new DC-Hub has become a milestone in the development of The Switch business. In the next five years, the company's business in the marine sector will grow by 200%. The company has received more than 30 ship orders.

Asbjørn Halsebakke, General Manager of The Switch, stated, “We believe that DC-Hub is the future of the shipping industry and has the advantages of simplicity, reliability, robustness and cost efficiency to enable the operation of marine generator sets with optimized efficiency. The battery is used as a standby power source. Being able to cope with any required load changes means that the generator set can be completely shut down, greatly reducing fuel consumption, operating costs and environmental impact.

More importantly, other power sources, such as wind turbines, fuel cells, or solar panels, can be easily connected to DC batteries, eliminating the need for AC panels to create a simpler, tailored system. ”

The equipment will be installed by Wärtsilä on the 90-meter ferry. The new ship is being built by the Turkish Cemre shipyard. It can carry 178 cars and more than 1,200 passengers. It is a £45 million investment by the shipowner Wightlink. One of the projects to build a future fleet.