Electric News

ZINUS AS, has signed a new contract with the Norwegian system integrator, SEAM AS, for the delivery of a complete Cable Management System (CMS) to the OMYA Hustadmarmor project.The project represents a milestone for both ZINUS and SEAM, as the ZINUS charging towers, combined with the e-SEAMatic BLUE hybrid solution and 23.5 MW battery system from SEAM, will serve the world’s first fully electric bulk carrier. The vessel will operate for OMYA Hustadmarmor, part of the global OMYA…

VULKAN UK has provided the electrical design expertise and power profiles that enables the Silver Raven, the UK’s first fully electric sightseeing vessel, to begin operation in autumn 2025.Commissioned by Woods Tours, designed by One2Three Naval Architects, and built at Pendennis Shipyard in Cornwall, the 39-meter Silver Raven will carry up to 250 passengers per voyage. The vessel will navigate London’s central waterways, demonstrating that large-scale passenger operations can…

MELTRIC announced the official launch of P66 – 660 amps at 1,100 volts alternating current and 1,500 volts direct current, with an 8-aux bundle.MELTRIC announced the launch of P66 – a safe, high-powered, and highly durable electrical connection engineered for mobile electrification in harsh and demanding industrial environments. Rated to deliver up to 660 amps at 1,100 volts alternating current  and 1,500 volts direct current, P66 features IP66/IP67 ingress protection, IK10 impact resistance…

Sanmar launched the third of four fully electric ElectRA Series tugs that it is building for BOTAŞ, Turkiye’s state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipeline and trading company.All four of the tugboats are based on the ElectRA 2500SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The first was launched on July 5 this year, and the second on August 9.ElectRA Series tugs are exclusive to Sanmar and are the result of the company’s ongoing collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd and battery provider Corvus Energy to build a new generation of eco-friendly low and no-emission tugs…

Tokyo Kisen Co., Ltd. and Marindows Inc. launched Japan’s first pure battery-powered EV harbor tugboat development project.This EV harbor tugboat will be operated in the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki.In January 2023, Tokyo Kisen put into service “TAIGA” which was the Japan’s first series-hybrid electric-powered tugboat equipped with a large-capacity 2,486 kWh battery. Building on two and a half years of operating experience with electric-powered tugs, this project advances to…

PT Bahtera Bahari Shipyard (PT BBS) has purchased Liebherr’s CBG 500 E. Scheduled for delivery in October 2025, the crane will be installed on a barge currently under construction at their Batam facility. The CBG 500 E features a rope luffing mechanism, a 65-ton safe working load in grab operation, and a 43-meter outreach—making it ideal for high-volumecoal handling. Its all-electric drive system, supported by the Licatronic energy recovery system and supercapacitors, ensures reduced emissions and optimized energy use.

NYK has unveiled Japan’s first fully battery-driven work vessel, e-Crea (pronounced “éclair” for its visual resemblance to the French pastry).Keihin Dock Co., an NYK Group company, built the vessel at its Koyasu Shipyard.Designed without an onboard diesel generator, e-Crea will support the docking and undocking of tugboats at the Koyasu Shipyard.Powered solely by batteries charged from shore facilities at Keihin Dock’s Koyasu Shipyard, e-Crea operates without emitting carbon dioxide…

Kongsberg Maritime announced the launch of a new electric towing winch, expanding its winch product portfolio to better serve the tug market. The new winch is powered by a frequency converter-driven electric motor, delivering enhanced operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact compared to traditional hydraulic systems.An advantage of the new electric towing winch is the reduction in hydraulic systems on board, minimizing the risks related to oil on deck. The winch is engineered for high efficiency and low power consumption…

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium has launched the Volta 1, Europe's first fully electric tugboat.The tugboat follows previous world firsts such as the Hydrotug (hydrogen-driven) and the Methatug (methanol-driven).The Volta 1 is a Reversed Stern Drive (RSD) tugboat designed on a double bow principle and equipped with a patented Twin Fin skeg for optimal stability and maneuverability. As a result, it can be used flexibly as a front and back tugboat.With its battery capacity of 2…

Western Baltic Engineering (WBE), a Lithuanian maritime engineering company, and Belgium’s Batia Mosa Shipyard announced a strategic partnership aiming to transform European inland waterway shipping with the launch of WBE’s design electric pusher vessel series, BlueKick. The collaboration aligns with the Shipyards’ & Maritime Equipment Association of Europe (SEA Europe)'s advocacy for the European Commission's focus on advancing the inland waterways sector. SEA Europe has called for ambitious measures to prioritize sustainable…

Flagship Cruises & Events, a San Diego-based yacht charter, announced a $15.27m grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop two fully electric, zero-emission ferries to serve the San Diego to Coronado route. With advanced battery technology, the vessels will not emit any greenhouse gases during operation and will remove the particulate matter associated with traditional combustion engines. The CARB Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Project grant is part of California Climate Investments…

AYK Energy has completed the installation and sea trials for the second Brittany Ferries vessel to feature the biggest marine battery ever built.AYK installed the 12 megawatt-hours (MWh) Orion+ battery into Brittany Ferries Guillaume de Normandie hybrid electric ferry after installing the same battery system aboard its sister ship Saint-Malo at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai. The vessel has now completed its sea trials and is heading to Britain, where it will operate the Portsmouth – Caen route.

Since entering service in 2015, the all-electric ferry MF Ampere has sailed the equivalent of 17 times around the equator on batteries alone.Despite a chorus of critics and skeptics in during the project, a decade later, Ampere continues to showcase the potential of electric technology, tech that has been emulated in ferries globally.It all started with the Ampere and the Norwegian Public Road Administration's decision to require sustainable technology onboard the newbuild destined to transport passengers and vehicles across the Sognefjord on Norway's west coast.

Stralsunder Ostseestaal GmbH & Co. KG and its Ampereship business unit delivered two electric solar ferries to Lago d'Iseo near Bergamo in northern Italy as planned. The client was the responsible local authority of the operator Navigazione Lago d'Iseo, and the new vessels are the first fully electric ferries in Italy.Measuring 25 x 6.6m, the Iseo ferries each have two electric drives with 100 kW output. Electricity is supplied by two battery banks with a total capacity of around 750 kWh.

Sanmar ends 2024 strong with the launch of the first fully electric tugboat to operate in Latin America.Ordered by SAAM Towage, the new tug is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2500SX design from naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, and is the eighth fully electric tug Sanmar has built.The tug built for SAAM Towage measures 25.4 x 12.86m with a draft of 5.55m, and with a installed battery capacity 3,616 kWh can achieve a bollard pull ahead of at least 70 tonnes and a speed…

Damen Shipyards has launched the second of its fully electric RSD-E Tugs 2513 at Damen Song Cam Shipyard.The tug is being built for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, together with five conventional RSD Tugs 2513.When delivered later this year, it will be the first fully electric tug to operate in European waters.The port was one of the first to operate a conventional RSD Tug 2513 following Damen’s release of the vessel onto the market in 2018.The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the busiest in Europe…

SCHOTTEL will equip Guangzhou Port Group’s latest e-tug with two RudderPropellers type SRP 360 in the LE-Drive variant. The new harbor tug measures 37.9 x 10.5m and will be mainly used for berthing assistance, escorting and towing in the Port of Guangzhou, China. Each SRP has an input power of 1,500 kW and a propeller diameter of 2.2m. The 360-degree steerable thruster combines maximum maneuverability and bollard pull with outstanding efficiency during free sailing, providing…

Imoto Lines and Marindows have outlined plans to build the next generation zero-emission domestic container ship capable of hybrid operation using Japan's first exchangeable container batteries, alongside onboard batteries and generators.The joint project between the companies aims to address three major challenges of the maritime industry - decarbonization, crew shortage, and safe navigation.The three-year project is supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of…

Brunvoll Mar-El will deliver the onshore charging system for the Bergen area fast ferries, more specifically on the Knarvik-Bergen and Kleppestø-Bergen routes. Brunvoll Mar-El has from earlier been contracted to deliver the electrical and hybrid system integration for the 3 ferries, and the contracts add up to both onboard and onshore system integration.Brunvoll Mar-El is a systems integrator in the market for power and weight optimized low-emission high-speed passenger vessels.

cutSOFEC_EBUOY_DETAIL_01_20231206As the need for electrical power for vessels at sea grows, SOFEC announced that ABS awarded the newly developed Electric Charging Buoy (ECB) an Approval in Principle (AiP). Traditional SOFEC CALM buoy designs have integrated electrical power cable management solutions that allow vessel(s) mooring while utilizing externally supplied power. By using this proven concept, SOFEC can leverage its buoy designs and modify them to accommodate offshore electric power transfer from seaports or offshore wind farms substations to Electric Vessels.

A third battery electric tugboat built by Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye has been delivered to HaiSea Marine,Canada. Haisea Brave is scheduled to work in Vancouver alongside its sisters HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Wee'Git before all three – along with two Sanmar-built LNG-fuelled tugs – are transferred to LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.HaiSea Marine is a joint venture majority owned by the Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, that will provide…

A few weeks ago I was talking to some professional fire fighters and was regaled with EV fire fighting disasters. They told me that EV caught fire all the time, that EV fires were much more dangerous than gasoline fires, and that fire trucks could not carry enough water to put out an EV fire. When I asked if they had fought any EV fires, they told me their information came from reliable sources and then asked me if I would park my Chevy Bolt in my garage. They focused on my Chevy Bolt, since it is widely regarded as a fire hazard.

Moises DelToro at GE Vernova’s Power Conversion business, discusses how deploying a Ship’s Electric Grid is a flexible way to accommodate growing energy demands for naval and coast guard vessels.A new age of electrificationWe’re in a new naval era and it is reshaping views about fleet mixes and capabilities. Modern fleets need to be mission-configurable, highly capable for military advantage, adaptable for technology insertion, but still affordable. The growing demand for vessel power is increasingly an enabler for mission systems, not just for platform propulsion.