Westcon selects Corvus batteries for Arriva bulk carrier

(BERGEN, Norway and VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Corvus Energy has been selected by Westcon Power & Automation (WPA) to supply the lithium-ion battery-based energy storage system (ESS) for a new hybrid coastal cargo vessel being built for Arriva Shipping at Dayang Offshore Equipment in China.

The ship is of MDC 1309 Ecolution design made by Marine Design and Consulting (MDC) in Bergen and defines a new standard for this type of ship. Energy efficiency has been taken into account throughout the entire design phase. In addition to the large battery pack and electric propulsion, it will also have a fuel efficient and improved hull design.

The 1,500-kWh Orca Energy battery pack will enable the vessel to enter harbor areas, berth/unberth and sail — all emissions-free. In addition, the vessel’s cargo operations will be handled electrically and consequently emissions-free.

Utilizing energy storage will enable the shipowner to reduce the carbon footprint of their operation substantially. Fuel consumption is estimated to be reduced by 20 percent compared to existing ships without hybrid technology. This corresponds to cuts of around 400 tonnes of fuel and about 1,200 tonnes of CO2, which equals the emissions from 450 passenger cars.

The vessel will be delivered from the shipyard in the second half of 2020 for completion in Norway before it begins operating in the “self-loading/discharging” segment routes in Northern Europe.

For more information, visit www.corvusenergy.com.

By Professional Mariner Staff