Battery provider announced for world’s first all-electric harbor rubbish collection boat

Corvus Energy is to supply batteries for a new vessel designed for water surface trash collection in Norway’s Port of Oslo. The all-electric skimmer workboat will feature a 550kWh energy storage system (ESS) from Corvus. With this ESS, the boat will be able to remain in full working mode for four to five hours, and a full battery charge will take just two hours. In addition, the vessel has solar panels on board. The new craft will be a replacement for the current litter skimmer boat Pelikan, which over the course of 30 years has picked up about 1,500 tons of rubbish from the Oslo harbor water surface. The 12m-long (40ft) aluminum vessel will be built by Grovfjord Mek Verksted (GMV). It will be powered by two electric propulsion engines and four electric side thrusters, enabling it to easily maneuver in the harbor and alongside quays. The combination of deck equipment, maneuverability and energy storage will make this zero-emission skimmer workboat more effective and efficient than the previous one. Roger Rosvold, vice president, sales, Corvus Energy, said, “Electrifying workboats in harbors has only just begun. We are confident that we will see a massive shift from diesel to battery on all kinds of harbor-going vessels due to the substantial benefits. Battery power reduces emissions, which are increasingly regulated in many ports and harbors. Moreover, batteries are safer and quieter for the crew, and save both fuel and maintenance costs for the owners.” Delivery of the new fully electric vessel for the Port of Oslo is expected in December 2019. It will give Norwegian ports experience with zero-emission solutions, and valuable insight into building, using and improving the charging infrastructure for other workboats in the future.