Shipping firms to buy 'low-cost' batteries without cobalt or lithium

US-based rechargeable battery maker Alsym Energy has set its sights on the shipping industry and will supply batteries 1 GW of battery capacity per year to two shipping companies.

PHOTO: Alsym Energy's team is developing and testing non-flammable batteries without cobalt or lithium as components. Alsym Energy

One of its buyers will be Singapore-based ship management company Synergy Marine. The other is Japanese bulk carrier operator Nissen Kaiun. Both will buy Alsym batteries for three years from 2025, when Alsym expects to start large-scale production.

Before ramping up production, Alsym will start pilot manufacturing of non-flammable batteries for ships from later this year.

Because the batteries are not made with cobalt and lithium metals - two raw materials in high global demand - Alsym says they are less sensitive to stretched supply chains and raw material shortages. It does not say which raw materials its batteries are made of, but claims they perform as well as lithium-ion batteries while being cheaper and less flammable.

Alsym says these batteries will be compatible for cargo ships and tankers in terms of performance and regulatory requirements. These can be used to propel vessels while entering or leaving port, as shore power and to level out peaks of electricity consumption for ships at sea - also known as "peak shaving".