Marine battery experts Sterling PlanB rebrand as Shift and launch global climate change Solution
London, 25 OCTOBER 2021: A new corporate name heralds the start of expanded business goals for marine electrification pioneer Brent Perry and his team, and the announcement of a ground-breaking new clean energy service.
Now called Shift, the company formerly known as Sterling PlanB Energy Solutions (SPBES) held a news conference in London to announce the expansion of its markets beyond marine industries and to launch a one-of-a-kind, new pay-as-you-go energy supply service called PwrSwäp.
“We’re building a new business model to help customers shift to a cleaner world through electrification,” said Shift CEO Brent Perry at the announcement. “Shift – and our leading-edge PwrSwäp system – is ready to help industry, corporations, small communities and other institutions to use clean energy for their operations and achieve climate action goals, while also saving them money on day one.”
The announcement comes as the marine industry and others come under considerable pressure to move away from diesel fuel and achieve ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, including the International Maritime Organization goal to reduce GHGs by at least 40 per cent by 2030 and by 50 per cent by 2050.
PwrSwäp is a cost-effective way for any customer to electrify their site, be it maritime or on land. Its practical, pay-as-you-go service gives customers a clean energy solution with more reliability and less risk. Based on Shift’s best-in-class energy storage systems (ESS), PwrSwäp provides customers with fully charged ePod battery cartridges and all related components which are connected through cloud-based service and management centres. The swappable batteries are sized per trip instead of a permanent 10-year system, greatly reducing size and weight and cost, some of the biggest barriers to ESS use.
This “swapping” process is enabled by the unequalled safety features of Shift’s batteries, built for the most challenging environments on earth. Batteries and charging stations are at the core of PwrSwäp, but Shift can also integrate new renewable energy sources like offshore wind and solar. This integrated approach can electrify ports, terminals, inland waterways, industrial sites and even entire isolated communities.
What is unique with Shift’s approach, and a new innovation in the maritime sector, is that customers don’t have to own the batteries, deal with maintenance, build the charging stations, or even the renewable power production facility. Shift owns the assets and simply sells the energy to subscribers in the PwrSwäp service. Shift finances the transition of marine vessels to electrification. The customers pay for the energy they use, and swap batteries when that energy is depleted for a fresh battery. This means customers do not have to invest in expensive up-front capital costs or take on the technology transition risk. If new technology emerges over time, Shift integrates that into the solution, with no new capital cost to the customer.
“Customers save money from day one while meeting their climate action goals,” said Perry. “PwrSwäp delivers a ready-made clean energy solution that is faster, better and cheaper. We are changing the game – like Uber or Amazon have. Our ‘swapping’ system means there is no lag time for PwrSwäp customers, such as short sea shipping customers. Our uniquely safe and robust batteries give us the ability to deliver this service. If you are serious about taking action on climate change now and want an approach with the fewest risks to you and your company, Shift has the solution.”
Created in 2019, the Canadian company is well-known for its electrification of ferries, workboats and similar short sea vessels in Scandinavia. Recently the company has been expanding operations in Europe and Asia, and now has representatives in Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Japan, USA, India, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE, as well as key partnerships in many additional countries.
In October of this year, Malaysia-based energy firm Yinson Holdings Berhad provided significant funding to Shift through its green technology division. The two companies also signed a Memorandum of Understanding which stated the two companies intend to form a joint venture collaboration to accelerate the large-scale rollout of PwrSwäp and other Shift solutions globally.
“As climate leaders and ESS experts, Brent Perry and his team at Shift are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the marine decarbonisation initiatives currently being rolled out globally,” said Yinson Executive Vice President New Ventures and Technology, Eirik Barclay. “Yinson is excited to support the expansion of marine electric mobility and looking forward to working with Shift to roll out ESS and PwrSwäp solutions in the South-East Asian market.”
Shift is currently providing its battery and charging station system for an important electric hydrofoil pilot project at the Port of Singapore in partnership with Yinson and others.
The company’s new brand and logo were created by renowned designer David Carson, called “the art director of the era” by some observers. The Shift wordmark features a clean contemporary font and conveys the company’s marine roots and green-driven mission. The plus symbol embedded in the wordmark references CEO Brent Perry’s founding role in the marine battery industry. More information about Carson Design is available at davidcarsondesign.com.
Shift Climate Action Backgrounder
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