Hamburg University wins PEMA Challenge

Incorporating cold ironing; berth planning; LED lighting; eRTGs; KERS; renewable energy; and smart grid technology into its solution for a fictional container terminal, the team successfully defended the University of Hamburg’s 2017 title at the live final presented to the TOC Europe general assembly on 14 June.

Following presentations from all three finalists, University of Hamburg, Blekinge Institute of Technology and Hamburg University of Technology, the judging panel reviewed each proposal according to innovation potential, practicability, and academic value.

Solid proposal

Having explained the feasibility, cost calculations and return on investment for each of the technologies presented, the University of Hamburg presented a solid case for realistic implementation of its solution, winning €1000 for its efforts.

The team explained that the container terminal could use smart grid technology to feed energy back into the local power grid, storing energy during low market prices and selling it when the price rises. It also advocated upgrading existing port vehicles with an ultracapacitor-based Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).

The 6th PEMA Student Challenge question was announced in April.