Marine battery revolution ‘gathering pace’ with building of most powerful electric escort tug in the world

Marine battery maker AYK Energy says a significant milestone is being made in the electric workboat sector with the completion of sea trials for the first battery-methanol harbour tug ever built.

AYK Energy said the Svitzer Balder built by the Uzmar shipyard in Türkiye sets a new standard as the most powerful electric escort tug in the world able to operate in near-open ocean as well as in harbour. The vessel is now set for delivery to the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden where it will conduct more than 90% of its towing and docking operations ‘zero-emission’ using its battery-electric powertrain. It will be the fifth Svitzer tug AYK has provided battery systems to.

AYK confirmed its team helped to manage sea trials on the vessel which it supplied with an ABS certified AriesA 6MWh battery system with a lifespan of around 10 years.

AYK Energy founder Chris Kruger said: “I would like to thank Uzmar and Svitzer for trusting AYK to build and deliver this battery system. AYK is proving that battery technology is evolving and becoming more powerful, more advanced and more competitive. At a time of volatile oil prices battery power is offering an increasingly attractive safe harbour to vessel operators.”

Mr Kruger said key to making batteries more economically viable is the use of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells, instead of the more expensive NMC – nickel, manganese, cobalt cell technology. AYK has led the introduction of LFP technology in the global maritime market being the first manufacturer to secure a type-approved marine battery using LFP.

“This project again shows that LFP can provide the energy density and horsepower the industry demands for significantly less cost and it is much safer than the more combustible NMC chemistry,” he said.

The Svitzer Balder is an innovative TRAnsverse tug design with proprietary to Svitzer, and the battery will be supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.

The order comes as fast-growing AYK Energy is seeing a surge in demand for its batteries across the maritime industry with the manufacturer supplying ferries, cruise ships, polar vessels, superyachts, fishing vessels, workboats and even large container vessels as part of their power mix.

The battery for the Svitzer Balder was built at AYK’s 5,000 sqm automated manufacturing plant in Zhuhai, China which opened in 2023. The plant has a production capacity of 300MWh a year with the ability to expand to 1GWh.

AYK Energy

AYK was founded in 2018 by Chris Kruger with the goal of producing a low cost battery that offered superior performance and safety, and that exceeded class and industry standards. Already a pioneer in the marine battery sector, having developed the very first marine type approved battery 14 years ago, Chris and his team have continued to drive development and safety in the marine battery industry, drawing on 15 years’ industry experience.