Fjord Maritime and AYK Energy Strike Deal on PSV Conversion 

Fjord Maritime and AYK Energy strike deal to install the containerized battery on PSV conversion 
 
•    Deal will see containerized battery installed on Firda Seafood Group vessel at Norse Shipyard Group in Turkey 
•    Companies say containerized battery power will be one of the maritime industry’s biggest innovations in the next decade
•    Containerised batteries can drive the green propulsion revolution in the workboat, offshore, inland waterways and short-sea shipping sectors
•    Containerised batteries can be installed easily on deck without taking space below deck and incurring complex battery room safety requirements
•    Innovation supports research by Foreship, which estimates swappable electric batteries can be installed on up to 6000 inland vessels in the EU alone, cutting around 482,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalents from water transport emissions in Europe each year. 

Norwegian aquaculture technology supplier, Fjord Maritime, has won a new contract to convert an oil platform supply vessel (PSV) to a containerized battery-powered live fish carrier (LFC).  Fjord Maritime has struck the deal in partnership with Andorra-based marine battery maker AYK Energy. AYK has developed a special containerized battery solution for the vessel owned by the Firda Seafood Group, also based in Norway.

The DNV Class approved 1MWh Energy Storage Solution (ESS) will be fitted into a standard-sized 20ft container along with Fjord Maritime’s Fjord Hybrid solution. The container is further equipped with all necessary safety and auxiliary systems. Once the conversion is completed at NORSE Shipyard in Turkey, the vessel will be operated by Firda Seafood Group, the leading producer of fjord trout in western Norway.

Vidar Rabben, Chief Executive Officer at Fjord Maritime, headquartered in Bergen and has a UK office in Fort William, said: “As a business, we are growing rapidly led by our vision of ‘Driving the Green Revolution’. We have a long-term relationship with Firda, which has put sustainability and fish welfare at the heart of all its operations. The demand for state-of-the-art equipment is growing across aquaculture as businesses like Firda look to grow sustainably and safely. Our solutions contribute to that with increased efficiency, safe operation, and reduced emissions.”

Ed Carney, global sales director at AYK Energy, says the project underlines the company’s position as an emerging manufacturer of safe, sustainable and high-quality marine battery systems said: “AYK has created what we consider to be the best-containerized battery solution in the maritime industry.  Containerized batteries will be one of the biggest innovations in the maritime industry in the next five to 10 years, specifically for the workboat, offshore, inland waterways and short-sea shipping sector. The AYK containerized battery is safe, highly efficient and competitively priced.

“Containerised batteries have multiple benefits. They can be installed easily on deck without taking space below deck and incurring complex battery room safety requirements. Furthermore, the retrofit process is simple and does not require the vessel to be out of service for long. When operational, the batteries can be swapped around with fully charged replacements quickly at shore side charging centres. In addition, the containerized power solution is future proof. When a new more powerful battery technology is developed, or a different form of power is introduced, the container can be adapted for that purpose.”  

Rabben added: “We are delighted to be collaborating with AYK Energy and we see a bright future for our relationship. With high-end quality, competence, and a new standard of service-level that AYK provides, we are confident that we will work together to deliver many projects in the coming years.” 

Fjord Maritime is a leading provider of smart grid energy solutions for aquaculture. The company has a long-established position in delivering sustainable and cost-effective climate technology with approximately 150 systems in operation.

AYK Energy has built and shipped over 15MWh of batteries to Europe last year. As its growth continues, the company’s next move will be to set up manufacturing centers in the US and Europe in 2024. AYK delivers a range of battery types that can be used on various vessel types and applications from high power to high energy.
NOTES TO EDITORS
 
AYK Energy
AYK was founded in 2018 by Chris Kruger to produce a low-cost battery that offered superior performance and safety that exceeds class and industry standards. Already a pioneer in the marine battery sector, Chris and his team have developed the very first marine-type approved battery 10 years ago; They have continued to drive development and safety in the marine battery industry drawing on 15 years of industry experience.
Visit www.aykenergy.com/
 
Fjord Maritime
Specialists in electrification and digitalization of the aquaculture industry, Fjord Maritime was established in 2016. Since then, the company has shown a desire and ambition to contribute to greener aquaculture. Through customer-driven innovation, it has created solutions for energy that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and it delivers those solutions internationally.
Visit www.fjordmaritime.no