Eitzen taps Chinese yard to build two of world’s largest battery-powered container ships

A unit of the Oslo-based Eitzen Group has signed a contract with China’s Zhejiang Dongpeng Shipbuilding & Repairing Co to build two of the world’s largest fully electric container ships.

The contract, signed by Eitzen Group’s specialist maritime electrification unit Zen, calls for the construction of two 900-TEU container ships, each with more than 100 MWh of battery storage. The shipyard will deliver the first vessel in 24 months, followed three months later by the second newbuilding. With a range of 500-600 nautical miles, the vessels will create a zero-emissions green corridor, transporting containers between Hamburg, Gothenburg, and Oslo. The ships will enter service in 2029.

Construction of the two vessels, as well as shoreside charging infrastructure at the Port of Oslo, received financial backing from Enova SF, a state-owned agency that supports clean energy projects through Norway’s Climate and Energy Fund.

Enova awarded a Nkr200.0M (US$20.2M) grant for these newbuildings in June 2025, and has now awarded a second grant of Nkr200.0M to Eitzen Avanti in June 2026 for two more as-yet-to-be-confirmed battery-powered container ships. The four ships would operate between Norway and the continent.

“By replacing conventional tonnage, these four ships will contribute to meeting Norway’s climate commitments by eliminating more than 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually,” said Zen in a social media post.

While the first two ships will be built in China, the lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries will be manufactured at Zen’s factory in Tønsberg, Norway. The LFP batteries will reportedly have twice the energy density per volume as comparable solutions.

“The Eitzen Group sees great potential in the electrification of regional shipping. Battery prices have decreased by over 80% in the last decade and will continue to fall as demand increases worldwide,” said Eitzen Group chief executive, Fridtjof C. Eitzen.