Author: Shift Team

MoU concurrently inked to accelerate large-scale rollout of clean and zero emission shipping energy storage solutions regionally

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 October 2021: Yinson Holdings Berhad (“Yinson” or the “Group”), through Singapore-based subsidiary Yinson Venture Capital Pte Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Yinson Green Technologies Pte Ltd “YGT”), has invested in Sterling PBES Energy Solutions Ltd (“SPBES”), a Canada-based energy storage solutions company working to lower or eliminate dependence on fossil fuels in marine and industrial applications.

This clean energy investment fits firmly in YGT’s strategy of investing in the marine electrification area, and closely aligns with the Group’s Climate Goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

In addition to the investment, YGT and SPBES have also entered into a binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with the intention to form a joint venture collaboration to accelerate the large-scale rollout of SPBES’ solutions within selected countries in Southeast Asia and beyond.

The investment and MoU mark progressive steps in the deepening business relationship between the two companies. Yinson and SPBES initially collaborated on the design development of Hydroglyder – Yinson’s fully electric passenger craft with swappable batteries; then also became part of the Goal Zero consortium led by Seatech Solutions International Pte Ltd, which was awarded funding by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) in August 2021 to provide a fully electric harbour craft solution for the Port of Singapore.

Yinson Executive Vice President New Ventures and Technology, Eirik Barclay commented that the partnership would leverage Yinson’s strong presence in Southeast Asia to offer SPBES business solutions to marine, port and other industrial energy storage sectors, as well as to establish service and assembly hubs for energy storage and battery swap solutions.

“We believe that SPBES is equipped with high standards in marine energy storage system capabilities, including advanced technology and outstanding safety features. As a pioneer in this space, SPBES is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the marine decarbonization initiatives taking place globally. Yinson is excited to support the expansion of this clean energy solution in the region,” he commented, adding that the partnership also aims to extend the technology to the non-maritime sectors which are centric to YGT’s electrification of mobility strategy.

Yinson Group Chief Strategy Officer, Daniel Bong highlighted that Yinson and SPBES share the same goal of delivering zero-emission solutions towards achieving a globally integrated, technologically advanced clean logistics ecosystem.

“Energy storage is key to the decarbonization for the transport industry. This collaboration with SPBES aligns strategically with Yinson’s targeted approach for growing our green technologies business, where we leverage our existing strengths and focus on the geomarkets where we are currently active,” he said.

“We’re thrilled to have Yinson on board as our cornerstone investor,” said SPBES CEO Brent Perry, “Our company has big plans to play a leading role in global clean energy solutions, and Yinson is an excellent partner for our goals. Our mutual commitment to working toward zero emissions promises great things ahead as we build energy solutions for the maritime and other industries. Together we will build a new business model for a cleaner world.”

About Yinson Holdings Berhad

“PASSIONATELY DELIVERING POWERFUL SOLUTIONS”

Yinson Holdings Berhad (“Yinson” or the “Group”) is a global energy infrastructure and technology company, listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.

Yinson currently invests in four business divisions – Offshore Production, Renewables, Green Technologies and Offshore Marine. Our geographical presence extends across the world, from West Africa, the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Yinson was established in 1983 as a transport agency in Johor Bahru. In 2011, the Group ventured into offshore production through a joint venture with PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation to build two offshore production assets. In 2014, Yinson transformed to become a full-scale execution and service FPSO provider through the acquisition of Fred Olsen Production ASA and subsequent divestment of its non-oil & gas business segments. Today, with a fleet of 7 offshore production assets, Yinson has grown to become one of the largest independent FPSO leasing companies in the global FPSO market.

Yinson diversified into renewables in 2019, and targets to become one of the leading clean energy independent power producers (IPPs) globally. Its renewables footprint is rapidly expanding, positioning renewables as a major revenue stream for the Group. Yinson established its Green Technologies Division in 2020, with the aim of accelerating the transition to a net zero world through investments in green technologies.

Energy storage experts add an inland waterway shipping expert to their roster.  

Vancouver, Canada; 23 September 2021: Sterling Plan B (SPBES) is excited to announce the appointment of long-time inland waterways shipping consultant, Leen Schipper, to the position of Vice President, Inland Waterways Europe with SPBES.  

SPBES sees increasing opportunities for marine battery use in the inland waterway shipping market, as customers move toward decreasing their climate change impacts through electrification: adding Leen Schipper, an internationally recognized expert in short sea shipping to the team has become crucial.  

Schipper, who is Dutch, has an abundance of knowledge regarding inland waterway shipping in the Netherlands and in Europe as his family has worked in the field for generations. In fact, Schipper was raised on his family’s inland vessel and has owned barges himself in the past. 

Schipper has shown a commitment to making inland waterway shipping as clean as possible; he himself has designed and built two “near to zero” energy containers that are currently running on bio-gas.  

While originally hired to consult for a project with SPBES, Schipper felt very aligned with the company and our team and asked to join us as an employee. Within weeks, Schipper became a member of our team.  

“Having been born into the inland waterway shipping industry, I feel passionate about Sterling PlanB and their mission to significantly reduce emissions in the area. Energy storage is the next step to successfully making our industry a clean one. I’m excited to join SPBES on this journey,” Schipper said.  

“Leen offers a level of insight and experience that is incomparable in our field,” said Brent Perry, CEO and Founder, SPBES. “Between his experience in the inland waterway shipping industry and his endless connections that have been built over his lifetime, Leen has proven to be an exciting addition to the Sterling PlanB team.”  

The energy storage experts’ Norway team expands with more Supply Chain specialists. 

Sterling PlanB Energy Systems (SPBES), maritime and industrial energy storage leaders, has announced the appointment of Tommy Dale to the role of Senior Manager, Supply Chain and Projects.

Tommy Dale will be working out of SPBES’s Norway office to widen and expand its supply chain and prepare it for significant growth expected in the coming months and years. Dale brings over 20 years’ experience in manufacturing engineering and procurement to the SPBES team. Dale’s appointment comes following SPBES’s earlier announcement of Nanda Kishore’s Supply Chain Officer appointment. Dale and Nanda will be working together closely to serve customers in Scandinavia and around the globe. The appointments of both supply chain specialists represent a commitment to SPBES’s supply chain partners and to a highly professional approach to partnerships.

“Dale comes from an impressive and extensive background in supply chain work that will very quickly make him an asset to the SPBES team” said Brent Perry, CEO, SPBES

“ESS will increasingly be a significant part of how customers take climate action, so it is a new but exciting opportunity as the industry is expected to have exponential growth in the coming years,” said Dale. “I’m excited to join SPBES and work on ESS and in a sector that will have a positive impact on the global issues we see today.” 

Dale comes from an engineering background, both academically and professionally. Norwegian born and bred; Dale received his Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering from the Western Norway School of Applied Sciences. Over the last 20 years, Dale had been working at engine manufacturing giant, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, with his most recent position before joining SPBES being Project Manager.  

New fully electric lighter craft vessel to help in decarbonisation of Singapore harbourcraft industry

Sterling PlanB Energy Solutions (SPBES) is proud to announce it is part of the Goal Zero consortium that will help the harbourcraft industry in Singapore decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The consortium has been selected by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) to develop, deploy and commercialize a technologically advanced, fully electric cargo vessel with interoperable charging solutions using swappable batteries for Singapore’s ports.

The Goal Zero consortium, led by SeaTech Solutions International (SSI) and its commercialization partner Yinson Green Technologies Pte Ltd (YGT), received one of three grants jointly awarded by the MPA and SMI on August 5, 2021, with consortiums led by Keppel FELS Limited and Sembcorp Marine receiving the other two grants. MPA and SMI’s joint call for proposals, which was issued in September 2020, attracted strong interest from the maritime community with 73 companies and 10 institutes of higher learning submitting a total of 16 proposals. A total co-funding of $8.4 million CDA (SGD 9 million) was awarded to the three successful consortiums to support the research, design, build and operations of fully electric harbour crafts for the next five years. The electrification pilot projects will demonstrate both the commercial and technical viability of specific use cases for fully electric harbour crafts.

SPBES has the most experienced team in the industry, and produces the safest marine batteries available, with a safety record that exceeds all current regulations. Its founder and CEO Brent Perry pioneered the marine battery sector. SPBES has electrified vessels around the world, including ferries, offshore support vessels, tugboats and others.

“We are excited about this electrification pilot in Singapore – one of the most active ports in the world,” said Perry. “We believe this project will demonstrate to all ports that there is a cost-effective, safe and successful path to zero emissions in the sector using marine batteries.”

Goal Zero will embark on the research, design, build and operations of fully electric cargo vessels over the next five years. The project will pilot one of the most innovative and affordable swappable marine battery solutions designed by SPBES and also contribute to design and development of the interoperable swappable charging stations.

YGT will spearhead Goal Zero’s overall program management and commercialization, while Singapore-based marine design engineering company SSI leads the consortium, developing the vessel design and system integration.

“We are proud that Goal Zero will help to solve some of the biggest issues faced by vessel owners and operators when it comes to the adoption of electric vessels,” said Yinson Executive Vice President, New Ventures and Technology, Eirik Barclay. “We are looking to develop a new ecosystem and business model that is significantly more sustainable for the harbour craft industry while also being more commercially attractive for vessel owners and operators. We chose SPBES as a partner because they are the best in the business in terms of marine batteries.”

The consortium also includes Rina Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch as the classification society and the Singapore Institute of Technology and Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine Singapore as the institute of higher learning and research institute developing the digital twin. Goal Zero is also supported by industry partners Batam Fast Ferry Pte Ltd, Bernhard Schulte (Singapore) Holdings Pte Ltd, DM Sea Logistics Pte Ltd, Marina Offshore Pte Ltd, Kenoil Marine Services Pte Ltd, Lita Ocean Pte Ltd and Jurong Port Pte Ltd.

Maritime and industrial energy storage solutions expert further expands team in Europe and announce the arrival of supply-chain specialist.

Leading maritime and industrial energy storage solutions expert, Sterling PlanB, has announced the appointment of senior procurement professional Nanda Kishore to the position of Chief Supply Chain Officer.

Located in Bergen, Norway, Kishore is now based out of Sterling PlanB’s Norway office. He is responsible for managing the operations of the company post-contract issue, managing all contract execution through the supply chain, manufacturing and delivery to customer.

This senior staff appointment comes following the recent announcement of Sterling PlanB signing a co-operation agreement with Europe’s largest independent ship design office, ICE. Two months ago, Sterling PlanB also announced the hiring of Jens-Christian Strate as the new European Head of Solutions out of Copenhagen, Denmark. With Sterling PlanB’s continued expansion into Europe, this significant new addition to Sterling PlanB’s Europe-based team provides an additional level of expertise and experience to its customers.

“Nanda’s academic and professional experience in manufacturing quality control as well as marine projects make him a well-suited and exciting new addition to the Sterling PlanB team,” said Sterling PlanB founder and CEO Brent Perry. “His extensive experience in the Norwegian market and passion for sustainability will greatly serve us and our customers in continuing to disrupt the energy sector with lower emission solutions.”

Enthusiastic about the career move, Kishore commented: “I’m thrilled to be contributing towards Sterling PlanB’s pivotal sustainability goals, and ultimately making the world a better place for the next generation.”

Kishore has an impressive professional and academic background, with a Bachelor of Engineering, specializing in mechanical engineering, from Bangalore University and certifications related to project management, purchase management and lead auditing. Kishore was most recently with Rolls Royce Power Systems as their Head of Manufacturing Programs before joining the Sterling PlanB team.

Battery technology pioneers and Europe’s largest independent ship design office join forces to promote ESS adoption

Energy storage experts Sterling PlanB and Europe’s largest independent ship design group, ICE, have announced an agreement to combine knowledge and resources in order to increase the adoption of energy storage systems (ESS) and thereby accelerate the maritime industry’s energy transition.

Exchanging market and technology information, Sterling PlanB and ICE will combine efforts through their collaboration to enhance the use of energy storage systems on ships and support the industry’s decarbonisation journey. As leading companies in their respective fields of expertise, they together form a unique combination of complementary understanding and experience that offers ship owners and operators an optimized and integrated solution for adopting ESS.

Sterling PlanB has been at the forefront of maritime battery and ESS technology for many years, particularly in the field of safety thanks to its design expertise, while ICE’s extensive experience in marine design and engineering for clients world-wide is ideally suited to integrate ESS’s as a key element in new buildings or as retrofits in existing ships.

Sterling PlanB CEO Brent Perry said: “ESS will be an essential part of shipping’s decarbonisation journey. Regardless of vessel type, all vessels can benefit from ESS installation helping them to save fuel, operate with a more stable load, and increasing safety with improved backup power. However, integrating battery technology into vessel design requires specific expertise, and it’s important that ESS installation is considered as an integral part of a project rather than an afterthought. We’re excited to be working alongside ICE, who are bringing over 50 years of design expertise to the table, and we look forward to collaborating with them to realise new, low carbon vessel designs and retrofit projects.”

Steinar Draegebo, ICE’s Chairman and CEO added: “Sterling PlanB are proven leaders when it comes to ESS technology. We’re proud to be working with a company that prioritises safety and has the technical knowledge and capability to really push the boundaries of what’s possible with marine batteries. Sterling PlanB’s technology will help us meet our customers’ expectations of fuel efficiency, increased safety and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.”

Sterling PlanB’s batteries are developed with the highest standards of safety in mind, particularly when it comes to tackling the risk of fire due to thermal runaway. Its systems are some of the first to meet classification society DNV’s new 2020 class rules for commercial vessel batteries, which substantially mitigates the risk of the spread of fire by eliminating the propagation of thermal runaway within a battery module.

About ICE
Benefitting from more than half a century of experience, ICE provides a complete range of cost-effective marine design services to shipyards and ship owners in the commercial marine, defence and offshore energy sectors, world-wide.  Visit ICE at www.icedesign.info.

NYK Trading Corporation and Sterling PlanB are entering into an exclusive agreement for the sales and distribution of Energy Storage Systems in Japan, bringing new standards of ESS performance and safety to the market.

Energy storage expert, Sterling PlanB has signed an agreement with NYK Trading Corporation, the trading company of the NYK Group, to distribute Sterling PlanB’s energy storage systems in Japan. Sterling PlanB has pioneered the development of energy storage systems (ESS) for use in the maritime industry, and consistently raised performance and safety standards for battery technology.

This move reflects the growing awareness that energy storage technology will be an essential component of the evolution of zero-carbon shipping, both in Japan and globally. Whether in combination with zero-carbon fuels, wind assisted propulsion, or other optimisation solutions, ESS can play a role in peak shaving, managing a hotel load, or supplying emergency power, both increasing performance and safety, and reducing fuel consumption.

This agreement will see Sterling PlanB benefit from the scale and resources of NYK Trading Corporation as an important commercial partner. NYK Trading Corporation is already an established supplier of marine fuel and lubricants oil, and mechanical instrumentation business globally, and strong links with Japanese shipowners, shipyards and technology integrators. This marks the move towards a low-carbon future, in line with NYK Trading Corporation’s investment in developing its solar energy business and other clean technology avenues.

NYK Trading Corporation aims to bring ESS propulsion to small vessels such as tugboats, short distance ferries and merchant vessels in the domestic Japanese maritime market. By using its business network as an established trading house in Japan, the company will establish a strong sales foundation for ESS and fuel cell suppliers and the battery propulsion market as a whole, as the maritime ESS market in Japan remains relatively immature.

Brent Perry, CEO of Sterling PlanB said: “With many major commercial shipping lines and shipyards based in Japan, we are honored and proud to be joining forces with NYK Trading Corporation to bring our ESS solutions to this market. With their scale and expertise, we look forward to working together to ensure that ESS and battery power is a major part of Japan’s clean shipping future.”

Keiji Tsuchiya, Representative Director, CEO from NYK Trading said: “Sterling PlanB has demonstrated that they are an innovative company that has made safety its top priority. We recognize the urgent need for shipping to reduce its carbon emissions, and as such, look forward to providing our customers with a world leading ESS solution.”

Sterling PlanB’s batteries are developed with the highest standards of safety in mind, particularly when it comes to tackling the risk of fire due to thermal runaway. Its systems are some of the first to meet classification society DNV’s new 2020 class rules for commercial vessel batteries, which substantially mitigates the risk of the spread of fire by eliminating the propagation of thermal runaway within a battery module. By monitoring individual cells – including patented venting solutions and liquid cooling – Sterling PlanB’s batteries have led the way in developing safe systems that supply the power needed for commercial shipping.

Note to Editors

About Sterling PlanB

Sterling PlanB designs and manufactures high power lithium-ion energy storage. Comprised of the most experienced team in the sector, they are focused on providing value and safety for industrial, marine and grid energy storage applications. Visit spbes.com.

About NYK Trading Corporation

As a trading company of the NYK Group, the NYK Trading Corporation has been gaining traction at home and abroad in both the petroleum energy business and the mechatronics (machinery and instrumentation) business. Their slogan is Global Energy & Mechatronics. They are developing a variety of services in both energy and mechatronics, and striving for the realization of “sustainable development”.

Maritime and industrial energy storage solutions experts announce further expansion into Europe with new operational role

Leading maritime and industrial energy storage solutions experts, Sterling PlanB, today announced the appointment of a new European Head of Solutions, Jens-Christian Strate.

Strate, who will be joining European operations in Copenhagen this May, will be responsible for managing the ongoing relationships with a number of Sterling PlanB’s key stakeholders, in the marine propulsion sector. This will include ship owners, naval architects, shipyard managers and OEMs.

The news follows a period of significant progress and development for Sterling PlanB in the company’s drive to increase use of ESS (Energy Storage Systems) in shipping while setting the highest possible standard for battery safety.

In recent months, Sterling PlanB’s ESS passed the revised DNV 2020 testing certification for commercial vessel batteries — one of the first ESS providers to do so. The company has also successfully conducted an A60 fire survivability test of the BBU battery module. Leveraging Strate’s extensive background in marine energy and the maritime industry, Sterling PlanB is looking to build on these technical milestones to drive ESS adoption across Europe.

Sterling PlanB Founder and CEO Brent Perry said: “Jens brings a wealth of experience and expertise in marine electrification, and very strong relations throughout our core markets that will support Sterling PlanB’s rapid growth both in Europe and globally. His in-depth knowledge of the vibrant European marine and offshore sector, and the key players in it will be invaluable in showcasing our ability to enable the industry to operate cleanly and efficiently to make positive impacts.”

Jens-Christian Strate commented on the career move: “”The opportunity to be at the core of electrifying all aspects of the marine industry with a system as advanced as ours is an opportunity I could not pass on. Ultimately, it’s my goal to bring Sterling PlanB solutions to every aspect of marine. The platform is one of the safest and best performing system on the market, and it’s an honor to work with this product and the dedicated team that stands behind it.”

Jens-Christian, a graduate of Copenhagen Marine Engineering School with a B.Sc. in Marine and Electrical Engineering, and most recently was with power electronics leader Danfoss. Strate will be joining Sterling PlanB’s European headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.