Monitoring and optimising battery performance and degradation in battery-powered vessels

The BOSS LEVEL project focuses on developing cutting-edge technology to support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector by addressing critical challenges related to on-board energy management and operational efficiency. Tomorrow’s low-carbon vessels will rely heavily on advanced instrumentation, data analytics, and AI-driven control systems to optimise performance, reduce emissions, manage fuel use, and ensure safety, especially as the industry transitions to electric and hybrid drive trains.

One key area of focus is on-board battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are critical for low-carbon shipping but face issues like unexpected degradation that significantly impact vessel economics. Drawing lessons from the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the project explores how monitoring and management strategies for EV batteries can be adapted to the unique demands of maritime batteries.

BOSS LEVEL will design and test an innovative on-board sensor network with AI-based analytics, ensuring real-time monitoring of vessel systems and situational awareness for both on-board and shore-based teams. This includes evaluating system costs and benefits, compliance factors, and communication bandwidth needs. By demonstrating the feasibility of this approach through a real-world case study, BOSS LEVEL aims to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and provide a scalable solution to optimise vessel performance and sustainability.