ClassNK to collaborate on Power ARK Project

PowerX is developing the first model of the Power ARK series, a vessel with a massive battery payload which is designed to transfer renewable energy from offshore wind farms in Japanʼs coastal waters to shore. The company aims to achieve full-scale operation in 2025.

The first model of the Power ARK series, “Power ARK 100” is a 100.5 metre, 100 TEU container ship specially designed for transferring renewable energy and carrying 100 grid batteries totalling 200MWh of power (equivalent to the total electricity consumption of 22,000 Japanese households in a day). The vessel will be able to travel up to 300 kilometres cruising at seven knots when running only on electricity and will be able to unlock long-distance, intercontinental clean power transmission when it is powered by both electricity and sustainable biodiesel fuels.

ClassNK will provide expertise in the design of hull and the installation of safety management systems and software. The companies will evaluate the Power Ark concept and relevant standards, define relevant standards for safety verification and certifications, define the validation methodology for Power Ark’s battery system, assess the Power Ark’s system design and battery safety and assess the overall safety of the Power Ark.

PowerX will also be building a giga-scale battery assembly facility in Japan to mass-produce batteries for the Power Transfer Vessel. The annual production capacity will achieve 1GWh by 2024, and will eventually reach 5GWh by 2028.

In February 2022, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) entered a strategic business alliance for the development and testing of Power X’s marine energy storage system and electric vessels designed to conduct power transfers.