Classification societies DNV and Lloyd’s Register have recertified Leclanché’s Marine Rack System (MRS-2) for use with the company’s new high-energy 65Ah lithium-ion pouch cells.
DNV approved the certification upgrade in January 2022; Lloyd’s Register provided Leclanché with type approval for its 60Ah and 65Ah cells in October 2021. The approvals denote that the system has been assessed and certified by a third party and that it complies and performs to industry safety and regulatory requirements.
The MRS-2 is Leclanché’s latest-generation, modular and scalable lithium-ion battery system. It uses multi-layer safety measures from cell to system, including a battery management system to provide real-time access and insights into battery status, performance and diagnostic data via a user interface.
Available in four standard rack heights to suit different sizes of battery room, the MRS-2 can deliver pack voltages up to 1,100V DC. The system comes with a 230V AC power supply or an insulated DC-DC power supply. An integrated cooling and firefighting system improves safety levels and reduces the risk of thermal propagation to virtually nothing.
The liquid-cooled battery systems provide multiple advantages over air-cooled batteries, including longer battery lifetime, improved heat transfer and lower energy consumption.
Leclanché’s MRS-2 system is already being used to power several fully electric and hybrid vessels including nine hybrid ro-ro ferries being operated by Grimaldi Lines, each of which is equipped with a 5.1MWh battery system. The Yara Birkeland, which is claimed to be the world’s first autonomous and fully electric container ship, also utilizes a 5MWh Leclanché battery system.
“These latest certifications from DNV and Lloyd’s Register confirm the quality, performance and safety built into our Marine Rack System based on 100% in-house technology,” said Anil Srivastava, Leclanché’s CEO. “From our initial design concept through numerous enhancements over the years, our MRS has proved itself to be a reliable and sustainable alternative to traditional ferry propulsion systems.”
