Tug battery order marks Corvus’ 500th project

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Corvus Energy has revealed that its order for batteries for three zero-emission tugs under construction at Sanmar Shipyards will be its 500^th project order.

It is not so many years ago that reporting details of new tug constructions involved largely conventional mechanical components, engines, gearboxes, thrusters etc. The attraction of alternative fuel variants such as hybrid is gathering pace however with other component technology providers now an essential part of the supply chain and attracting rightful attention.

The HaiSea Marine three vessel order is Corvus' 500th reference (Corvus Energy)

The HaiSea Marine three vessel order is Corvus’ 500th reference (Corvus Energy)

Norway based-Corvus Energy describes itself as ‘a pioneer of lithium-ion battery technology in maritime applications’ so perhaps unsurprising that it is involved in the tug and workboat world given its presence in many other areas of maritime operations from cruise and ferry to fishing, ports and subsea, a sector it entered in 2019.

The 500^th reference and one of the largest in Corvus’ history is for the supply of 5,288kWh batteries for each of three zero-emission Robert Allan Ltd-designed ElectRA 2800 tugs currently under construction for Canada’s HaiSea Marine at Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards. HaiSea Marine is majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC and will operate the three battery-powered tugs assisting LNG carriers at the LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat BC. Sanmar’s order also includes two RAstar 4000 dual fuel escort tugs which will use LNG as their primary fuel.

Corvus Energy puts its success down to the ‘engaged support’ of its strategic investors, Equinor Ventures, Norsk Hydro, BW Group and Shell Ventures and in a sign that the involvement of energy storage systems and fuel cell technology in future tug designs is here to stay, in recent months Corvus signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sanmar aimed at developing a new range of zero-emission and hybrid tugs based on Robert Allan designs.

Remarking on its contribution to environmental standards and remembering its involvement in several maritime sectors, Geir Bjørkeli Corvus Energy CEO says: “We estimate that our batteries have saved over three hundred million litres of diesel, avoiding almost one billion kilograms of CO2 emissions, that’s a track record in which we take immense pride. Soon, in combination with the maritime fuel cell that Corvus is developing in partnership with Toyota, our energy storage systems will help replace fossil fuels and GHG emissions on ocean-going ships as well.