The project will study battery wear, maintenance needs, and the possibility of automating certain ship operations
The University of Portsmouth is a key partner in a new project to help ships operate more efficiently and reduce carbon emissions.
The BOSS LEVEL project aims to develop an onboard system using sensors and artificial intelligence to tackle challenges at ship-port interfaces as the maritime industry transitions to decarbonised vessel fleets.
With more need for onboard technology and data analysis, BOSS LEVEL aims to make ships both greener and more cost-effective by studying battery wear, maintenance needs, and the possibility of automating certain ship operations.
Experts from the University’s Centre for Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions (CERES) and the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering will focus on optimising on-board battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are critical yet costly components in low-carbon vessels.
By advancing battery management and leveraging AI-driven insights, we can support a cleaner, more sustainable future for the shipping industry.
Professor of Power Systems Engineering, Victor Becerra, is project lead for the University. He said: “We’re seeking to improve vessel efficiency to meet environmental standards while minimising operational costs. By advancing battery management and leveraging AI-driven insights, we can support a cleaner, more sustainable future for the shipping industry.”
Professor Becerra and colleagues will develop a model to represent the behaviour of a battery storage system in a test ship provided by HydroSurv, including how the battery wears down over time. The model will also track the battery’s charge level and overall health based on how it's used and recharged.
The testing of how the battery performs will be in simulated real-world scenarios, using conditions similar to actual maritime operations.
The project will leverage insights from the electric vehicle (EV) sector, adapting battery management approaches to maritime needs.
Project lead Alex Barter, Managing Director of B4T, emphasised the importance of electrification for a sustainable maritime future, stating that BOSS LEVEL will provide essential data for operators, designers, and policymakers.
Funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK through the Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund (SSAF), the collaborative effort involves industry experts such as B4T, Swanbarton, HydroSurv, WMG, Houlder, and MSE International.
It is part of the UK SHORE programme, a £206 million effort to develop technology for decarbonising the UK domestic maritime sector that will continue until March 2025.
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