AYK Energy: Leading Maritime Electrification Through 2025
2025 has been another outstanding year for AYK Energy. With the vision of our Founder and President, Chris Kruger, who was the designer of the battery for the world’s first hybrid propulsion ferry in 2012, AYK Energy has grown quickly to become a firmly established leading global player in marine battery technology. With a mission to democratise marine batteries by making them safe and reliable, the company has won groundbreaking deals and achieved essential industry certifications to promote the shift to zero-emission shipping.
DNV Accreditation Fuels New Possibilities
DNV type approval was awarded to AYK Energy for its upgraded battery set, consisting of Pisces, Pisces+, OrionAN, OrionAN+ and aluminum legacy modules, marking an important milestone in clean maritime propulsion. This approval allowed the company to proceed with a 10.4MWh Pisces+ battery installation on Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia, the largest retrofit project of its kind. The new range marries improved safety thanks to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry with dramatically improved energy density, making it a pushback against the industry’s reliance on more toxic alternatives, while lowering overall prices. Chris Kruger said that the approval would be game changing, enabling mass adoption across ferries, tugs, workboats, superyachts and even larger vessels.
First All-Electric Intercontinental Ferry Route
AYK Energy won a contract to run the world’s first fully electric intercontinental fast ferries between Europe and Africa in October for Spanish operator Baleària. Each of the twin catamarans run on 13.8MWh electric power and operate solely on battery propulsion throughout its 18-mile transit from Tarifa, Spain, to Tangier, Morocco, at a speed of 26 knots. An innovative autonomous robotic arm system allows the batteries to recharge in 40 minutes, paving the way for the first ever green corridor between Spain and Morocco. The ferries each transport 225 vehicles and 804 passengers, proving that electric propulsion can operate globally on fast-growing, high-traffic routes.
Pioneering Battery-Methanol Hybrid Technology
In March, AYK Energy reached a landmark contract with Turkish shipyard Uzmar to provide a 6MWh battery for the world’s first battery-methanol tug for Svitzer. The vessel will be based in Gothenburg and will operate over 90% of its functions with battery-electric propulsion, supported by dual-fuel methanol engines. This novel hybrid concept demonstrates how battery technology can work hand in hand with fuels that offer practically zero emissions, while ensuring operational flexibility. In November, AYK went one step further by completing a battery renewal deal for four Svitzer hybrid tugs operating at Chevron Australia’s Gorgon LNG terminal in Barrow Island in Western Australia.
Brittany Ferries Newbuild Fitted with World’s Largest Battery
AYK Energy’s progress in large-scale maritime electrification was further highlighted with the news that Brittany Ferries’ second LNG-hybrid newbuild, Guillaume de Normandie, was fitted with what was, at the time, the world’s largest battery installation for a vessel of its class. Produced in partnership with Wärtsilä, the 11.5MWh system represents a major leap in hybrid propulsion capability and builds on AYK Energy’s mission to enable safe, scalable and commercially viable battery systems for ocean-going fleets. The vessel operates on routes between Portsmouth and Saint-Malo and its advanced hybrid configuration is expected to reduce fuel consumption and emissions significantly, while supporting quieter, cleaner port operations. The installation also serves as another tangible example of how large passenger vessels can integrate high-capacity battery systems to meet tightening emissions regulations and customer expectations around sustainable travel.
Cyber Security Certification Industry Leader
In October, AYK Energy reached an industry-leading standard for maritime cyber security, obtaining enhanced system level certification from DNV under Cyber Security profile Level 1 (SP1) and IACS UR E27. The certification allows AYK Energy to monitor vessels’ batteries remotely, provide remote support during commissioning, in real-time, troubleshoot problems remotely and upload data to the cloud for future processing. This capability is what enables batteries to operate effectively and efficiently with the highest level of security, while avoiding cyber protocol breaches, an issue of critical concern to maritime operators.
Powered Greenpeace International’s Flagship Environmental Vessel
Most recently, AYK Energy has landed a high-profile contract to supply Greenpeace International’s new flagship vessel, constructed at Freire Shipyard in Spain with a 3MWh Aries+ advanced battery system. Set to be delivered in 2027, the vessel will be the most environmentally advanced vessel in Greenpeace’s fleet, integrating both electric drive propellers and 1,746 square meters of sails, solar panels and AYK battery packs in a bid to achieve near-zero emissions. This contract is among the most powerful endorsements for AYK energy’s technology by one of the world’s foremost environmental bodies.
Production Excellence and Global Presence
AYK Energy’s 2025 successes are underpinned by the company’s 5,000 sqm automated manufacturing facility in Zhuhai, China, which opened in 2023 with an annual capacity of 300MWh, expandable to 1GWh. By establishing such a plant, AYK Energy is now firmly entrenched in the world battery supply chain and can meet the quality and safety standards of high-quality battery products required by the world’s most prestigious classification societies and shipbuilders. The company’s fast-growing business portfolio now includes tugs, offshore service vessels, superyachts, fishing ships, workboats, ferries and container ships in Europe, Asia and beyond.
Setting the Standard for Affordability and Safety
AYK Energy has maintained its commitment to make batteries financially viable for shipowners throughout 2025. By investing entirely in the lithium iron phosphate chemistry industry and developing systems with higher energy density than standard solutions, AYK Energy has put forward battery systems that deliver superior safety as well as a compelling price tag. As Chris Kruger stresses, batteries will only gain mass adoption when it is clear that the business case is there and that’s exactly what the new AYK Energy range provides, with the systems designed to pay for themselves in just a few years.
As scrutiny tightens against maritime regulations through EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and port emissions requirements across the globe, AYK Energy’s 2025 achievements underscore how the company’s efforts in the energy transition are leading the charge. This is turning Chris Kruger’s ambition for maritime electrification that is accessible, safe and affordable into an economic reality for all vessel classes and applications globally.