2790
Views

Corvus Sets up Electric-Vessel Battery Factory at Port of Bellingham

Corvus
Geir Bjørkeli (right), CEO of Corvus Energy, and Elliott T. Smith, Director of Real Estate at the Port of Bellingham (Corvus)

Published May 31, 2022 11:23 PM by The Maritime Executive

Maritime battery system manufacturer Corvus Energy announced Tuesday that it will open a new factory in Washington State, significantly expanding its U.S. footprint to meet growing demand from industry.

The new manufacturing plant in the Port of Bellingham will have an annual output of 200 MWh of battery storage system capacity. Corvus has existing battery factories in Bergen, Norway and in Richmond, British Columbia, but it sees a need to expand production in order to meet growing North American demand for low-emissions propulsion.

“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," said Geir Bjørkeli, CEO of Corvus Energy. "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 also cited the possibility of collaboration with nearby shipyards, shipowners, and the blue-economy sector hub Washington Maritime Blue as attractive factors for locating in Bellingham. 

"Corvus continues to thrive as a global leader in the sustainable transition of the maritime industry and I am pleased that they’ve chosen Washington as their first location in the US," said Washington Governor Jay Inslee. "This is a great chapter in the ongoing partnership between Washington and Norway on combatting climate change and bringing to reality the green jobs of the future."

Corvus expects that the market for maritime battery-electric systems will reach $800 million by 2030. It hopes to capture a significant share, since it currently has the largest installed base of maritime battery systems, including 30 vessels and 40 pieces of shoreside equipment in the U.S. market. The firm also holds the contracts for the first all-electric tugs in the North American market, the HaiSea Marine tugs for Kitimat, B.C. and the Crowley e-Wolf tug for the Port of San Diego.