01.04.2026 until 31.12.2028
INES-NOK directly addresses the electrical grid infrastructure along the Kiel Canal and the charging stations of the climate-neutral ships. The regionally generated electricity from renewables is used and, if necessary, stored so that it can be supplied to the canal ferries and other ships at suitable times and locations. New power-electronic equipment such as smart solid-state transformers (SST) and medium-voltage direct current links (MVDC link) in conjunction with on- and additional off-ship battery storage and new, intelligent automation solutions enable the grid infrastructure to be built and operated more safely, economically and ecologically than with the conventional grid infrastructure planned to date.
The project will record the current state of the art for the climate-neutral supply of ships with stationary charging stations and determine the potential for using renewable energies from the region. Innovative, technical concepts for a fast electricity charging infrastructure for battery-powered ship propulsion systems are being developed, with special consideration of the possible DC grid infrastructure with additional storage at the charging stations along the NOK, taking into account the backup supply and additional storage. A predictive automation and energy management system (EMS) will optimally control the operating resources. The newly developed concepts for the canal ferries and a selected network area will be calculated, evaluated and assessed using simulation. The current legal framework conditions and the changes to the legal framework required for operation will be determined.
It is expected that the new DC operating resources, additional storage and new automation will bring significant advantages over the characteristics of the conventional grid infrastructure and thus accelerate the energy transition process in the region.
