Marine battery maker AYK Energy says a significant milestone is being made in
the electric workboat sector with the completion of sea trials for the first battery-
methanol harbour tug ever built.
AYK Energy said the Svitzer Balder built by the Uzmar shipyard in Türkiye sets a
new standard as the most powerful electric escort tug in the world able to operate
in near-open ocean as well as in harbour. The vessel is now set for delivery to
the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden where it will conduct more than 90% of its
towing and docking operations ‘zero-emission’ using its battery-electric
powertrain. It will be the fifth Svitzer tug AYK has provided battery systems to.
AYK confirmed its team helped to manage sea trials on the vessel which it
supplied with an ABS certified AriesA 6MWh battery system with a lifespan of
around 10 years.
AYK Energy founder Chris Kruger said: “I would like to thank Uzmar and Svitzer
for trusting AYK to build and deliver this battery system. AYK is proving that
battery technology is evolving and becoming more powerful, more advanced and
more competitive. At a time of volatile oil prices battery power is offering an
increasingly attractive safe harbour to vessel operators.”
Mr Kruger said key to making batteries more economically viable is the use of
lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells, instead of the more expensive NMC – nickel,
manganese, cobalt cell technology. AYK has led the introduction of LFP
technology in the global maritime market being the first manufacturer to secure a
type-approved marine battery using LFP.
“This project again shows that LFP can provide the energy density and
horsepower the industry demands for significantly less cost and it is much safer
than the more combustible NMC chemistry,” he said.
The Svitzer Balder is an innovative TRAnsverse tug design with proprietary to
Svitzer, and the battery will be supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-
up and range extension.
The order comes as fast-growing AYK Energy is seeing a surge in demand for its
batteries across the maritime industry with the manufacturer supplying ferries,
cruise ships, polar vessels, superyachts, fishing vessels, workboats and even
large container vessels as part of their power mix.
The battery for the Svitzer Balder was built at AYK’s 5,000 sqm automated
manufacturing plant in Zhuhai, China which opened in 2023. The plant has a
production capacity of 300MWh a year with the ability to expand to 1GWh.
AYK Energy
AYK was founded in 2018 by Chris Kruger with the goal of producing a low cost
battery that offered superior performance and safety, and that exceeded class
and industry standards. Already a pioneer in the marine battery sector, having
developed the very first marine type approved battery 14 years ago, Chris and
his team have continued to drive development and safety in the marine battery
industry, drawing on 15 years’ industry experience.
Visit www.aykenergy.com