Maritime transport other than shipping: electrical energy case

Large demand for energy results in necessity for its transportation in various ways. On land areas, energy media transfer consists mainly of transport in tanks by rail, road or river routs as well as pipeline systems for liquid or gasified hydrocarbons. A part of energy media in the world is electric energy flowing though metallic conductors of overhead and cable networks. If sea areas are considered, ship navigation routs crosses with pipelines and electrical energy transfer systems. Furthermore, every transport system can interfere with other. Marine areas occupied by pipelines and submarine cables must be excluded from use of anchors and bottom fishing gear. On the other hand, pipeline systems interfere with the free development of navigation, particularly in areas near ports. Power transfer systems modify the natural force fields in the water column, surface water and even in near-water layer of atmosphere. In this article, we show the main ways of transferring electricity in the sea and the resulting modifications of physical fields: electrical, magnetic and electromagnetic ones. We also discuss the probable impact of modifications of natural fields on ship traffic as well as corrosion of hulls of ships and marine structures. The considerations presented in the article are related primarily to the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea.