Marine Battery Maker AYK Energy Lands Kongsberg Maritime Electric Tug Deal

[By AYK]

Rapidly expanding battery manufacturer AYK Energy has announced further growth in the workboat industry after striking its latest deal with Kongsberg Maritime to supply batteries for four new fully electric Svitzer TRAnsverse tugs.

The deal builds on five previous Svitzer hybrid electric tug projects AYK has worked on. The vessels are being built at the Cochin Shipyard in India and will see each tug equipped with an ABS-certified 4,838kWh OrionAN+ battery system with an option for four further vessels.

AYK’s batteries will integrate into Kongsberg Maritime’s system, which includes the complete electrical and automation architecture of the tugs, including DC and AC switchboards, permanent magnet propulsion motors, K-Chief control systems and shore charging equipment.

AYK founder Chris Kruger said: “This is such an exciting moment for AYK. I’ve been working on this technology since 2012 with Svitzer’s four diesel electric hybrid tugs on the west coast of Australia.

“AYK is incredibly proud to be continuing our work with the visionary teams at Kongsberg Maritime and Svitzer on these highly advanced green powered TRAnsverse tugs.

“It’s only possible to bring technology to the mass market when the biggest operators invest in, and believe in, the battery systems ROI. The passion from all parties to change the industry for the better is really there.”

Mr Kruger said the guiding principle for AYK is always to listen to industry and keep design simple.

He said: “Vessel operators and integrators have told us they want more energy density and greater power without compromising safety.

“This is what we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Marine batteries, electric ships, are not an easy technology. The rugged conditions of the sea make it much more challenging than electric road vehicles.

“If a vessel suffers battery failure you cannot simply step out onto the road. That is why we’ve worked so closely with class and innovators like Kongsberg Maritime and Svitzer to bring lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry to the market at scale.

“AYK was the first company to secure class approval for an LFP battery replacing the more combustible Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) chemistry. Now the whole industry is following that lead.”

The latest Svitzer link follows another major deal with the company after AYK supplied its ABS-certified AriesA 6MWh battery system for Svitzer Balder, built by Uzmar shipyard in Türkiye. The Balder is the world's most powerful electric escort tug.

AYK Energy’s relationship with Svitzer dates back to 2012, when founder Chris Kruger personally oversaw the original battery design on four diesel-electric hybrid tugs built specifically for the LNG terminal on Barrow Island, Western Australia.

The vessels, comprising Svitzer Euro, Svitzer Perentie, Svitzer Boodie and Svitzer Dugong, were among the world’s first diesel-electric hybrid tugs. In 2025, AYK Energy returned to the same fleet to complete a full battery renewal program, installing new Aries LFP battery systems across all four vessels and delivering more than 5MWh of new battery power in total.