PRESS RELEASE: Corvus Energy has signed a contract with Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) for the marine world’s largest battery package to be installed on board Havila Kystruten’s coastal vessels.
Big step for the cruising industry
“This is a big step for the cruising industry and we are extremely proud to receive this order. It demonstrates that we drive technology further by pushing boundaries for the use of batteries. The Energy Storage System (ESS) is the world’s largest package ever delivered to a ship and will enable the vessels to enter fjords and ECAs on zero emission mode five years before the deadline,” says Geir Bjørkeli, CEO of Corvus Energy.
Corvus Energy will deliver an air-cooled ESS with Corvus’ patented single-cell thermal isolation, which exceeds class requirements, to ensure the highest level of safety.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for batteries.You have to optimize and compromise to find the the right balance between energy density, capacity, performance and lifecycle to ensure the most optimal ESS solution,” says Stein Ruben Larsen, Senior Vice President Sales at NES, a total system integrator of electric systems for the global maritime market. “We chose Corvus Energy due to the proven reliability, safety and performance of the Corvus ESS, in addition to their experience and the high level of technical support provided through previous project deliveries to NES. We know we are getting the best ESS available in the market.”
“It is a pleasure to work with NES on this prestigious project. The Energy Storage System has a capacity per vessel of 6,100 kWh, which is double the capacity of any existing battery-operated ferries,” says Roger Rosvold, Vice President Sales at Corvus Energy. “The unused potential for using batteries on board cruise and passenger ferries is huge. Batteries reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs, cut pollution and, with increasing environmental regulations and requirements that will incur costs for air emissions, provide a very compelling business case. As more and more shipowners wake up to this, we expect to see uptake accelerating across the board. The industry is just starting to understand the power of batteries.”
The newbuilds are part of Havila’s contract with Norwegian Ministry of Transport for the construction of four environmentally-friendly vessels that will operate on the Bergen-Kirkenes coastal route.
Two of the vessels will be built by Turkish shipbuilder Tersan and the remaining by Spanish Barreras.
Featuring a length of 125 meters and a width of 20 meters, the ships will be able to accommodate 700 passengers.
The vessels will have a hybrid gas-electric propulsion system with battery, where four gas-powered engines in each vessel run the generators. The system is also adapted to the next generation of technology, using hydrogen fuel cells.
The equipment from Corvus Energy is scheduled for delivery in 2020 and the coastal route vessels will be in service from 2021.
As the leading manufacturer of energy storage systems for maritime applications, Corvus Energy provides battery power to more hybrid and all-electric ferries than all other providers of energy storage systems combined. Corvus offers the innovative Orca ESS solutions portfolio and has unsurpassed experience from 190+ projects, totaling over 200 MWh and more than 2 million operating hours.
