Corvus Energy will supply lithium ion battery-based energy storage systems (ESS) for five new all-electric ferries built by Holland Shipyard Group for Amsterdam’s municipal public transport provider, Gemeente Vervoerbedrijf (GVB)
The ferries will be equipped with an air-cooled Corvus Orca Energy ESS that will supply electrical power to the ferry’s all-electric power and propulsion system.
Holland Ship Electric chief executive John van der Sluis said Corvus was awarded the contract on the basis of the ESS’ “proven reliability, safety, and performance”.
“We are also hopeful for the future. With Corvus as our supplier, we also want to expand our business further. With the new batteries from Corvus, we are able to equip ships with bigger power demands which means we expand the number of hybrid vessels,” he added.
Corvus Energy vice-president sales Kim Strate Kiegstad said the adoption rate for maritime ESS is experiencing a significant increase worldwide and in Europe in particular.
“In every market, this is a process that needs to mature. Companies such as GVB leading by example will help local shipbuilding and shipowners increase their level of knowledge of the technology and its benefits. We do expect that almost every future newbuild will have some kind of energy-efficiency solution included.”
The ferries will operate on three of the North Sea Canal routes, modernising GVB’s current fleet, which was built in the 1930s. The routes in the North Sea Canal are among the busiest, transporting more than 350,000 cars a year.
The replacement ferries are part of an extensive retrofit and newbuilding programme aimed at converting GVB’s entire fleet to hybrid or electric propulsion.
The 41 m by 13.9 m vessels, which will be the largest fully electric roro vessels in the Netherlands, are being designed and built in Holland Shipyard Group in the Netherlands. The ferries will feature an aluminium wheehouse superstructure, bulwark and railings instead of steel to reduce maintenance.
The first new ferry is expected to enter operations in 2021. After that, one will arrive every six months, until 2023.
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