Corvus Energy to open US battery factory amid increased demand

Business Developments & Projects

May 19, 2022, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Norway’s energy storage company Corvus Energy is expanding its US operations by opening a new factory in the state of Washington in an effort to meet demand for hybrid and zero-emission vessels.

The US-based manufacturing facility, with an annual capacity of 200 MWh of stored energy capacity, will support demand for marine battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Americas as the marine industry accelerates its adoption of decarbonization technology to meet global GHG emissions reduction targets.

“We have seen a significant uptake in orders from the US market as well as a growing commitment from the government and industry players on reducing GHG emissions,” Geir Bjørkeli, CEO of Corvus Energy explained.

“Increased capacity and production flexibility will be key to meeting anticipated growth. The US factory, along with a more robust sales and service organization, will ensure that we can meet American shipowner’s goals and market demand, providing better services to the US maritime industry.”

“Washington State was a natural choice for Corvus due to the presence of a strong maritime cluster, the state’s focus on green shipping, and the proximity to our large team near Vancouver, Canada,” Bjørkeli remarked.

The new Corvus US factory will be located just north of Seattle in the Port of Bellingham.

Corvus has existing battery factories in Bergen, Norway and in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, and a sales and service network serving Europe, North America and Asia.

Forecasts predict a huge increase in demand as decarbonization pushes forward—estimating an $800 million market for maritime energy storage systems in 2030. Corvus claims to be well-positioned for this demand, having amassed the largest installed base of maritime ESS — more than 600 projects.

Recently, the company has seen increased demand in the tug industry and is participating in the first all-electric tugs in both Canada and USA. The HaiSea Marine tugs will serve the LNG export terminal in Kitimat BC and the Crowley e-Wolf currently being built at Master Boatbuilders will serve the port of San Diego.