Mathilde Bergerskogen, Technical Sales Support Specialist at ABB Marine & Ports, set out to be an electrical engineer but had not envisioned working in the maritime sphere before her final graduate-training assignment. That changed everything and she is now busy speaking for ABB Onboard DC Grid™ amid an industry push towards decarbonization – which she sees as 'simply the right thing to do, not because the IMO demands it'.
Twenty-eight year old Bergerskogen grew up in an Oslo suburb some distance from the sea. "My mum's an accountant and dad was a musician and instrument wholesaler. In fact, my brother Pål and I were the first in our family to go to university. We had no previous family links to engineering, marine or otherwise."
There were summer trips to relatives in northern Norway, with much time spent fishing, as well as ferry trips to a holiday cottage in Denmark. "The ferry was a highlight; tearing around the decks gave me a great feeling of freedom. But that was the limit of my maritime exposure."
At school, she was curious about everything, including social studies and languages, but her special interest was maths and science – solving puzzles.
After school she chose to do military service for a year in the Navy. "I really wanted to do something outside my comfort zone and ending up serving on a Coast Guard vessel mostly in the far north, doing fisheries inspections and providing technical and medical assistance at sea."
Her duties included voyage and operations planning, as well as navigation. "One of my tasks was to update the paper maps, and I did a lot of lookout duty on the bridge. It was an eye-opener, because it rekindled my love of the ocean, but I didn't then see myself working in the maritime industry."
Bergerskogen's brother had, meanwhile, gone on to study engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. "He's always been someone I've admired, and I decided to go to Trondheim as well. I chose the integrated Energy and Environmental Engineering MSc because it has a really good balance between maths, physics and chemistry and gives a strong foundation for understanding and developing the sustainable energy systems of the future."
Enjoying the advanced technical courses, she later specialised in electrical power conversion, also doing internships for power distribution and transmission grid operators. However, going into her fourth and fifth years she became more interested in smaller components like converters and electrical machines, rather than full transmission systems.
Testing the waters
After graduating from NTNU, Bergerskogen joined ABB Norway's two-year graduate trainee program, as one of six successful candidates. "You can test different business areas and roles, which is great because I wasn't quite sure what direction to go in."
Her first assignment was in ABB Energy Industries working on early-phase feasibility studies for large oil and gas projects, as well as electrification projects in the fishing and rail industries. The next six months were spent getting hands-on experience as an assistant commissioning engineer also in Energy Industries, installing and commissioning electrical equipment at a biofuel production plant. "Following that I did an overseas stint at ABB Motion in Switzerland, working partly in technical R&D for a system drive at our factory in Turgi, and partly in sales writing customer tenders."
What fascinates me about shipping is that it's an industry with such deep roots.
Working both at the commercial front end and in R&D made her realise she didn't want to work exclusively with either, but somewhere in the middle. "My manager in Switzerland suggested I get more experience in product management, versus just projects. He put me in touch with John Olav Lindtjørn at ABB Marine & Ports in Norway, who is global product manager for Onboard DC Grid and still my line manager today."
Dropping anchor in marine
The move felt right from day one. "What fascinates me about shipping is that it's an industry with such deep roots. And people don't realize how much really cool and advanced technology goes into modern vessels. Marine projects are also relatively short term, so you get to see tangible results of your work fairly quickly."
Going to work she feels like she's meeting friends, regardless of age. "I learn something new from them every day. It's a very inclusive environment."
She also relishes nuts-and-bolts interaction with customers. "They come to us with a challenge they want solved. We try to make a good fit tailoring the building blocks that Onboard DC Grid offers. Finding the common ground and coming up with a good solution is very motivating."
Supporting the product team involves raising awareness at conferences and seminars. "I never wanted to be a teacher per se, but I've always had an urge to share whatever knowledge I've gained, even back at school. That's pretty much what I do now, bridging the gap between the product and sales team and customers. As an outgoing and social person, getting to meet new people from all sorts of cultures is a cool part of the job."
Working with solutions to improve energy efficiency feels like I'm contributing to a better future
In the beginning, presenting to owners, CEOs, CTOs, and other high-ranking people was a bit scary. "But you soon discover they're just people and usually fun and interesting to talk to."
Green shift advocate
She applauds the IMO for setting ambitious climate targets. "It should go even faster, but at least things are happening. Working with solutions to improve energy efficiency feels like I'm contributing to a better future. I get to work on technically interesting projects that are really game-changing – testing new technology and fuels, as well as redesigning system topologies for cleaner operations."
We have no option but to follow a more sustainable path. In terms of emissions, shipping contributes only around three percent of the global carbon footprint, but we have to change in step with other industries.
Sustainability is not something the industry should do because the IMO demands it, she adds, but simply because it's the right thing to do. "We have no option but to follow a more sustainable path. In terms of emissions, shipping contributes only around three percent of the global carbon footprint, but we have to change in step with other industries. If we continue business as usual, it could end up a much higher percentage come 2050, which in addition to the emission impact would be very negative for the reputation of the industry."
While environmental impact is a crucial aspect, sustainability is not only about carbon emissions. She urges an emphasis also on the economic and social dimensions of sustainability – diversity, equity, and inclusion and doing business responsibly. "That's vital because as a global business we touch so many people's lives."
She considers herself lucky to have found a career that suits her. "Engineering's not for everyone and it likely won't make you rich. But we share one key characteristic – a kind of unique enthusiasm for problem solving – that makes work meaningful."
"People may see shipping as conservative, but that's certainly not been my experience. There are some narrow-minded people, but that's the case in every walk of life. The industry really deserves more attention. There are even people in ABB who don't recognize the big role we play in Marine & Ports!"
In terms of leadership, she believes a good leader should always try to listen and understand each team member's perspective. "We've all got different needs. For example, I need flexibility and freedom, but also support. And I know my manager John is always there if I'm stuck or need advice. Leaders need to be flexible and able to adapt."
Find something that's good for you and not those around you. In the end, you'll be doing the work, so you need to enjoy it.
Role models outside work are her brother and her mum, as well as a good friend from NTNU who's now an environmental consultant. "She's fantastically skilled and a real trailblazer, but also a caring and inclusive leader. I'd love to have her as my boss or colleague!"
'Find your own path!'
Her advice to the next generation, is simply: "Find something that's good for you and not those around you. In the end, you'll be doing the work, so you need to enjoy it. I don't jump around having an amazing time every day. You're not supposed to, either. But working with something you enjoy and find meaningful makes doing extra hours all the more fun."
I'm often the only female in the room but so what? There have been a handful of occasions where I've had to have a thick skin, but overall, it has not been a problem. Even now in my global role I've never experienced any negative attitude personally.
Secondly, she says don't be afraid to ask dumb questions. "It's a cliché but very important. Don't get hung up on being perfect. Share your half-baked ideas, because they'll definitely get better with input from those with more experience."
The fact that marine, and engineering generally, tends to be male-dominated isn't something that crosses her mind too much. "I'm often the only female in the room but so what? There have been a handful of occasions where I've had to have a thick skin, but overall, it has not been a problem. Even now in my global role I've never experienced any negative attitude personally."
As to where she will be five to 10 years' time, Bergerskogen is open-minded. "I'll of course explore whatever opportunities arise, but one thing's for sure – I can't imagine not working in marine!"
Outside the office, she is a keen sportswoman, skiing and snowboarding in winter, running and hiking in the mountains in summer. "This year I decided to step up the running a notch and registered for a half-marathon in early April. It was my first long race and a fantastic experience."
Otherwise, she enjoys listening to music and podcasts, reading, and playing board games. "I also have the very geeky hobby of playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends. And I try to make the most of what Oslo has to offer in terms of concerts, theatre, pub quizzes, nightlife and trying out new eateries. Abroad, I love exploring new cities and outdoor pursuits, including going to music festivals. I guess you could say I like to keep myself busy both at and outside of work!"
Educating the market on DC ascendancy
At a conference in 2023, Bergerskogen was nicknamed ‘ABB's Battery Lady' by a couple of mischievous delegates, although that is something of a misnomer. "Part of my address was about batteries, but mostly about Onboard DC Grid – but 'Onboard DC Grid Lady' doesn't really roll off the tongue. I take 'Battery Lady' as a compliment; but there are people at ABB who know a whole lot more about batteries than I do."
She is used to explaining the ins and outs of Onboard DC Grid often to large audiences. "Using DC as the main distribution media for electric propulsion onboard ships has only happened for the last 10 years – ABB delivered the world's first DC-based onboard power system to an oceangoing vessel in 2013. Many people still aren't familiar with electrical versus mechanical propulsion, and not with DC versus AC for electrical systems. It can take some time to wrap your head around DC concepts because there are key differences from AC, which may be more known to people."
Combining Onboard DC Grid's standardized building blocks in the most optimal way enables flexible and functional integration of a wide range of energy sources and loads.
Beauty in modularity
Combining Onboard DC Grid's standardized building blocks in the most optimal way enables flexible and functional integration of a wide range of energy sources and loads, Bergerskogen explains. "So you can tailor it to the needs of your vessel. New energy sources such as batteries and fuel cells are by nature DC-based, so much simpler to integrate. Onboard DC Grid is also agnostic to energy sources, so very well suited to building the next generation of sustainable power systems – dual fuel or engines running on alternative fuels like ammonia and hydrogen."
She adds that you with low effort can make use of variable-speed engines. "The generator set you are integrating only needs to match the system voltage; you don't need to match the frequency because you connect the machine to a frequency converter anyway. So you're free to run the engine at the best speed for the load conditions. An AC system has to match both voltage and frequency, so you need to run the machine at a fixed speed. With DC, being able to reduce the speed of the machine at lower loads automatically improves fuel consumption and lowers emissions."
Simplifying power conversion
Onboard DC Grid is very beneficial for systems with larger converter-based loads. "By integrating the converters into a main, centralized DC distribution, you can avoid large and heavy transformers. Eliminating power conversion steps and components also reduces losses, and simpler integration drastically increases system efficiency."
Over the last decade, Onboard DC Grid has proved itself to be a robust, reliable system that is highly fault tolerant. "And because it's based on the ABB's common Ability 800xA control-system platform, it's just as suitable for our portfolio of digital services including remote diagnostics and condition monitoring."
It doesn't suit all vessels, however, but is still customizable for a wide range of applications. "Being based on low voltage, there's a natural limitation in terms of power - it's best for ships in the low to mid power range. At the same time, the modularity of Onboard DC Grid allows us to build systems having up to tens of megawatts of installed power."
From cradle to grave
Bergerskogen points out that as a large, global supplier ABB Marine & Ports has the advantage of proven components and decades of experience. “Plus, we're a very reliable, cradle-to-grave partner and can support projects from the very early design phase throughout vessels' operational lifetime."
She highlights Onboard DC Grid as a great example of ABB being a front-runner. "With our R&D resources we're able not only to follow, but to drive developments in the market. I'd also like to give a shout to our sub-suppliers of components such as converters, rotating machinery, and batteries. We wouldn't be able to deliver quality systems without them. It's all about collaboration."
