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First Electric Commercial Fishing Vessel Launched

Karoline
image source: Facebook

Published Aug 26, 2015 6:58 PM by The Maritime Executive

The world’s first electric commercial fishing vessel is ready for commissioning in Norway. 

A Corvus lithium polymer Energy Storage System (ESS) with 30 batteries has been integrated with a Siemens propulsion system to power the 11 meter vessel built by Selfa Arctic AS in Norway.

The fishing boat, designed to operate entirely on battery power over a planned ten hour working day, can be charged overnight by plugging into the electrical grid and has an emergency 50kW auxiliary diesel-electric generator.

Norwegian fishing company Øra AS will operate the new vessel, Karoline. It will be commissioned in Trondheim Norway this month and then tested in the demanding conditions off the coast of Tjeldsundet in Northern Norway.  

While fishing the vessel will operate emissions free, eliminating all greenhouse gasses including CO2. The boat will also generate less noise and vibration than a standard diesel engine powered fishing vessel.

Annually, Norway’s fishing fleet uses 400 million gallons of oil and diesel, which is five percent of consumption in Norway.

“We have been working on this electric boat design for some time, and Corvus batteries are part of the design solution. Their innovative battery technology enables the vessel to meet the needed performance specifications, that is, to operate electrically for a full fishing day,” said Erik Ianssen, Selfa Arctic AS President and CEO. “With successful sea trials completed we are planning serial production of the vessel.”

“Siemens is an industry leader in the development of environmentally friendly propulsion technologies. For smaller vessels such as the Selfa Elmax, we have developed BlueDrive PlusC, an extremely flexible, compact and high-capacity electric hybrid propulsion system which is designed to provide maximum efficiency. When integrated with a Corvus lithium ESS we can nearly eliminate all emissions making for one of the greenest fishing boats on the water today,” said Ole Johan Hungnes, Sales Manager, Siemens Marine.

Corvus Energy claims to make the only lithium ion ESS type approved by Lloyds, DNV and ABS.