AYK Energy marks battery renewal project on Svitzer’s diesel-electric tug quartet as complete

Andorra’s marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy has wrapped up a battery renewal deal for a quartet of hybrid tugs owned by Denmark-based towage service provider Svitzer.

The units in question are the 33-meter-long diesel-electric tugboats presently operating at Chevron Australia’s Gorgon LNG terminal in Barrow Island, Western Australia, AYK Energy has noted.

According to the company’s founder Chris Kruger, the 80-tonne bollard-pull azimuthing stern drive (ASD) vessels—named Svitzer Euro, Svitzer Perentie, Svitzer Boodie, and Svitzer Dugong—were specifically built for the Gorgon terminal in 2012. The old batteries were now replaced as they were already at the end of their lifecycle.

To be precise, the battery renewal project saw the old batteries on the tugs recycled and new ones installed on each of the units. As part of the deal, it is understood that AYK Energy built more than 5 MWh of battery power, which is equal to 1.3 MWh on each ship.

Kruger further elaborated that the new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which were manufactured at the company’s plant in Zhuhai, China (opened in 2023), could have “twice as much energy density” as the original set, with the ability to either supplement or replace the diesel power.

In turn, this is expected to accomplish ‘tremendous’ reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as well as noise pollution.

Per Chris Kruger, in recent times, AYK Energy, which was founded in 2018, has seen “increased demand” for its batteries among maritime stakeholders, having secured contracts to supply the solution for tugs, OSVs, fishing vessels, workboats, large containerships, ferries as well as units from other ship segments.

For instance, at the beginning of October, the company was commissioned to power ‘the world’s first’ fully electric intercontinental fast ferries between Europe and Africa, which are to be operated by Spanish ferry operator Baleària. The tugboats are set to service the first green shipping corridor between Spain and Morocco.

On the other hand, Svitzer—which is said to currently own a fleet of approximately 456 vessels—took delivery of its ‘first-ever’ fully electric tug in July this year. The newbuild, constructed by the Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards, was designed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan.

A naming ceremony for what was also hailed as Denmark’s inaugural electric tug was held in Copenhagen in September. The ship was christened as Svitzer Ingrid.