Charged EVs | Svitzer Balder completes sea trials of electric escort tug with 6 MWh LFP battery system
AYK Energy’s 6 MWh battery system has passed sea trials aboard the Svitzer Balder, a harbor tug built by Uzmar shipyard in Türkiye, now heading to the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden. AYK describes it as the world’s most powerful electric escort tug and the first battery-methanol harbor tug ever built.
The ABS-certified AriesA battery packs 6 MWh with a rated lifespan of around 10 years. The vessel is designed for both harbor work and near-open ocean operation. Its battery is backed by dual-fuel methanol engines for backup and range extension. In service, it’s expected to run more than 90% of its towing and docking operations zero-emission. The Svitzer Balder will be the fifth Svitzer vessel AYK has supplied batteries to.
The battery chemistry is LFP—lithium-iron-phosphate—rather than NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt). AYK says it was the first manufacturer to earn type approval for a marine battery using LFP, and argues the chemistry delivers the energy density the industry needs at lower cost than NMC and with better fire safety.
“This project again shows that LFP can provide the energy density and horsepower the industry demands for significantly less cost and it is much safer than the more combustible NMC chemistry,” said Chris Kruger, AYK Energy founder.
The system was built at AYK’s 5,000 sqm automated facility in Zhuhai, China, which opened in 2023. The plant runs at 300 MWh per year of production capacity, expandable to 1 GWh.
Source: AYK Energy
