AYK Energy to produce record breaking battery system for Germany's new Polarstern research vessel

AYK Energy has secured a landmark contract to supply the largest battery ever installed on an ice class vessel for Germany’s next generation polar research ship Polarstern.

The partnership for the new diesel-electric vessel currently under development for the Alfred Wegener Institute has been signed directly with Wärtsilä, the world’s largest marine electrical integrator for hybrid propulsion systems.

The AYK Energy Pisces+ battery system, with a capacity of 16 megawatt-hours (MWh) and weighing 131 tonnes, will be delivered in 2028. The vessel itself is due to enter service in 2030.

The Polarstern replaces Germany’s existing flagship polar research vessel and is designed to support year-round operations in the Arctic and Antarctic, including extended missions in heavy ice. Builder TKMS has published detailed specifications for the vessel.

Chris Kruger, the founder and President of AYK, said the project is a major milestone for battery technology in demanding maritime environments: “Polar research vessels operate at the absolute limits of what ships and onboard systems are expected to endure. To be selected for a project of such complexity and importance is a strong validation of AYK’s technology, particularly when safety, reliability and performance under extreme conditions are non-negotiable.”

Pisces+ will form the core of the vessel’s hybrid diesel-electric power architecture, enabling peak shaving, load optimisation and low emission operations during sensitive scientific work. Battery power will also enable quieter operations, reducing the associated noise and vibration that can often interfere with research activities.

Kruger added: “Collaboration with Wärtsilä was a key part of the project’s success. Working directly with Wärtsilä on Polarstern has been a highly technical and rigorous process. This is a vessel designed to operate in some of the harshest environments on the planet and every component has to earn its place. The fact that batteries of this scale are now being integrated into ice class research ships shows just how far this technology has come.”

The contract builds on a strong run of large-scale installations for AYK Energy, including multi-megawatt-hour battery systems for hybrid ferries and specialist vessels across Europe. The Polarstern project takes battery capacity on an ice class vessel to a new level, both in size and operational ambition.

Kruger said: “Batteries are no longer a niche solution. They are becoming a core part of how complex ships are designed, whether that’s for ferries, offshore vessels or now polar research. This project underlines that batteries can deliver real operational value, even in the most demanding use cases.”