Corvus reaches milestone with new tug order

Corvus will supply 5,288 kWh batteries for three zero-emission harbour tugs to be built by Sanmar Shipyards for HaiSea Marine. The tugs will be used to assist LNG carriers at the LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat, BC once it is commissioned around the middle of the decade.

Geir Bjørkeli, chief executive of Corvus Energy said that the company’s batteries make up over half of all the energy storage capacity deployed on board ships today. “We estimate that our batteries have saved over three hundred million litres of diesel, avoiding almost one billion kilograms of CO2 emissions,” he said.

“Our energy storage systems are now in a wide range of coastal, short sea, inland, subsea and port applications in hybrid and fully battery-powered configurations,” he said, adding that Corvus is currently developing a maritime fuel cell with Toyota.

To date hybrid and electric marine technologies have primarily been taken up in Nordic countries but North America and Asia are beginning to invest heavily so as to meet emissions reduction targets.

“We are expanding our global production capacity and sales and service network in response to demand from multiple sectors,” said Mr Bjørkeli, citing expanding manufacturing facilities and workforce in North America and a joint venture with Sumitomo in Japan.