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Coupling Maritime Electrification with Renewable Power Systems: The Potential of Battery Vessels

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  • Anthony Wiskich

Abstract

Battery vessels (BVs) have been proposed to partially electrify long-distance shipping by connecting to ocean-going vessels at sea and recharging at port, ensuring frequent cycling of the battery. While previous work has examined their maritime economics, we quantify their system-wide effects in a detailed multi-regional capacity expansion model of the Australian east coast in 2050, under multi-year weather variability. BVs have two revenue streams of comparable value - powering ships at sea and temporal grid arbitrage - and can relocate between ports. Thus, they are deployed even at costs per MWh well above stationary batteries, lowering electricity system costs (-1.3%) and reducing renewable curtailment (-31%). As peaker gas generation and electricity-sector emissions are reduced (-12%), decarbonisation through partial ship electrification is reinforced by a cleaner electricity supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony Wiskich, 2026. "Coupling Maritime Electrification with Renewable Power Systems: The Potential of Battery Vessels," CAMA Working Papers 2026-17, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:een:camaaa:2026-17
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    File URL: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/2026-03/17_2026_Wiskich.pdf
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    JEL classification:

    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q47 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy Forecasting
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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