AYK Energy partners with Gebhard Electro on electric vessel retrofit

Andorran battery manufacturer AYK Energy has partnered with Dutch electrical engineering firm Gebhard Electro to convert a patrol vessel to fully electric propulsion at the Port of Rotterdam.

IMAGE: Port of Rotterdam’s patrol vessel RPA 8. AYK Energy

A patrol vessel is designed for maritime surveillance, security, law enforcement and coastal patrol operations.

While the emissions reductions from electrifying a single patrol vessel are expected to be modest, the project aims to build technical and operational expertise that could support the development of larger battery-powered vessels in the future.

The project will convert the Port of Rotterdam’s patrol vessel RPA 8 from hybrid to fully electric propulsion. AYK Energy will supply a 1,640-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, while Gebhard Electro will integrate the electrical energy system as part of the retrofit.

Separately, the two companies will begin construction of a new diesel-electric propulsion trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands for UK Dredging, part of Associated British Ports.

A TSHD is a self-propelled vessel that dredges loose materials such as sand, silt and gravel from the seabed.

“Our partnership with Gebhard Electro continues to demonstrate how battery technology is becoming an increasingly important part of modern vessel design and retrofit projects,” AYK Energy’s founder Chris Kruger said.

By Tuhin Roy

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