Corvus to Power Oslo Port Zero-Emission Workboat

Battery manufacturer Corvus Energy will supply a 550kWh Energy Storage System (ESS) for a new all-electric skimmer workboat.

The new vessel designed for efficient collection of trash at the water surface will operate in Norway’s Port of Oslo.

"The ESS will allow the boat to be in full working mode for four to five hours, and a full battery charge will take just 2 hours. In addition, the vessel has solar panels on board," said a press note from the company.

The vessel will be a replacement for the current litter skimmer boat Pelikan which during the course of 30 years has picked up about 1,500 tons of trash from the Oslo harbour water surface.

The 12-metre long aluminum vessel will be built by Grovfjord Mek. Verksted (GMV). Its deck will be equipped with a hydraulic front-loading basket in the bow and a crane on each side.

The boat will be powered by two electric propulsion engines and four electric side thrusters, allowing it to easily manoeuvre throughout the harbour and alongside quays. The combination of deck equipment, manoeuverability and energy storage will make this zero-emission skimmer workboat more effective and efficient than the previous one.

“We are proud to be chosen by the Port of Oslo for development of this innovative vessel, which is the world’s first as far as we know. It also shows that building competence on battery electric solutions has been the right strategic decision for us,” says Bård Meek-Hansen, Managing Director of GMV, a shipyard that specializes in aluminum workboats and previously built the world’s first fully-electric fish farm boat.

Delivery of the new fully-electric vessel for the Port of Oslo is expected in December 2019 and will provide Norwegian ports experience with zero-emission solutions and valuable insight into building, using and improving the charging infrastructure for other workboats in the future.