AYK Energy supplies largest ever marine battery

The company installed the 12 megawatt-hour (MWh) Orion+ battery into Guillaume de Normandie, the hybrid electric ferry built for Brittany Ferries. This follows the installation of an identical system aboard its sister vessel Saint-Malo, carried out at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai. With sea trials now concluded, Guillaume de Normandie is en route to Britain, where it will serve the Portsmouth–Caen route. Meanwhile, Saint-Malo is set to commence operations on the Portsmouth–St Malo route, with its first scheduled sailing this month.

AYK Energy’s founder, Chris Kruger, lauded the company’s success in manufacturing and installing the two largest marine batteries ever built for two ships simultaneously.

“We would again like to thank Brittany Ferries for giving AYK the opportunity to supply these two highly innovative ferries,” he stated. “This was a major undertaking for our company and highlights our continued growth as a business. Securing the order in April 2024 and delivering the project by early 2025 demonstrates the capability of our team and factory.”

Kruger emphasised that the project represents a significant milestone for marine battery technology. He pointed to advancements in energy density, safety, and installation efficiency as key indicators of progress in battery-powered vessels.

“We are also seeing that battery-powered ships are starting to compete with internal combustion engine vessels in terms of cost,” he explained. “This is crucial if electric batteries are to play a significant role in shipping’s decarbonisation and support the industry in meeting the IMO’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

The vessels will be capable of operating on zero-emission battery power when entering and exiting port, improving air quality and reducing emissions in densely populated port areas. Designed to operate using LNG, battery power, or a combination of both, they will also benefit from shore power facilities in Portsmouth, the only UK ferry port currently offering electric shore-to-ship power.

With mounting regulatory pressure on European shipowners, including the introduction of FuelEU and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) from 2025, the case for electrification is becoming increasingly compelling.

“We have supplied what we call a power battery for Brittany Ferries, meaning it works in conjunction with fuels like LNG,” Kruger explained. “However, we are now seeing that the technology is in place to enable fully electric vessels, which we refer to as an energy battery. This is the future. AYK has made significant strides towards this goal by launching the Pisces battery last month. This battery offers sufficient energy density to provide full power to larger vessels such as ferries, offshore support vessels, drill rigs, and windfarm vessels.”

Kruger, a pioneer in marine battery technology, began his career in the electric car industry before transitioning to the maritime sector. He was instrumental in developing the battery for the first hybrid propulsion ferry, Princess Benedikte, as well as the first fully electric ferry, Ampere, in 2012. Originally from South Africa and now based in Andorra, Kruger founded AYK Energy in 2018, establishing its first factory in China in 2023. He asserts that China remains at the forefront of battery industry advancements, maintaining a decade-long lead over Europe in this sector.