Sustainable Maritime Transportation Through Modular Wireless Shore-to-Ship Charging

The maritime transportation sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, posing environmental and health risks. According to the International Maritime Organization, approximately 90% of global trade is carried by marine transportation, necessitating the electrification of ships and shore-to-ship charging infrastructure. While existing literature emphasizes conductive charging for shore-to-ship charging, wireless charging aspects are often overlooked. This paper provides a holistic review of wireless charging modalities, covering power converters, compensation mechanisms, and couplers. The study examines the practical implementation of wireless charging for maritime vessels, utilizing a case study of a 1 MW charging system for the Motored Ferry (MF) Ampere to promote sustainability in maritime transport.