Conoship unveils battery-electric coaster with range of up to 650 nautical miles

Dutch ship designer Conoship International has introduced a battery-electric variant of its CIP3800 general cargo vessel, featuring a 40-MWh battery system and a claimed operating range of up to 650 nautical miles.

The 89.43-metre vessel has a moulded breadth of 13.20 metres and a design draft of 5.20 metres. The electric configuration is intended for coastal shipping and short-sea operations where access to shore-based charging infrastructure can support battery-powered voyages.

40-MWh battery system provides two operating ranges

Conoship’s modular battery arrangement is designed to provide approximately 350 nautical miles at a service speed of 10 knots. At a reduced speed of 8 knots, the range can increase to up to 650 nautical miles.

The stated ranges include allowances for sea margin and hotel loads, according to the ship designer.

The batteries are divided between forward and aft compartments to maintain the vessel’s trim without requiring additional water ballast. The removal of conventional fuel tanks and associated tanks for marine gas oil, heavy fuel oil, lubricating oil and sludge also helps offset some of the additional weight associated with the battery system.

The battery architecture can accommodate both nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistries.

Electric configuration retains existing CIP3800 hull

The battery-electric vessel retains the hull form of Conoship’s established CIP3800 platform rather than introducing a new hull design.

The vessel has a cargo intake of 3,200 tonnes and a single box-shaped cargo hold with a volume of 4,737 cubic metres. The hold is designed to handle bulk commodities, general cargo and project cargo.

When operating solely on battery power, the vessel is designed to produce zero direct emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter.

Range extender option available

Conoship is targeting the electric coaster at applications including fixed coastal routes, green shipping corridors, Scandinavian fjord services and waters where emissions restrictions apply.

Maarten Sickler, Sales Director at Conoship International, said: “The strength of the CIP3800 lies in its versatility.”

Where shore-based charging is insufficient for a particular operating profile, the design can incorporate a smaller generator set. Conoship said this could potentially operate on sustainable drop-in biofuels and serve either as a range extender or an emergency take-home system.

This configuration would allow operators to combine battery-electric propulsion with additional onboard generation for routes where charging availability or voyage distance makes full battery operation less practical.

CIP3800 platform already in commercial service

The electric version builds on the existing CIP3800 general cargo platform, which has already been used for more than 30 vessels worldwide, according to Conoship.

A separate six-vessel CIP3800 series built for Norwegian short-sea operator Wilson ASA was completed in 2026. The final vessel in that series, Wilson ECO VI, was delivered by India’s Udupi Cochin Shipyard.

The continued development of the CIP3800 platform provides a common hull design for conventional and battery-electric configurations, allowing the electric version to be targeted at operators whose routes and charging infrastructure are suitable for battery propulsion.

Conoship expands zero-emission vessel options

Conoship International, founded in 1952, is a Dutch ship design and engineering company involved in feasibility studies, consultancy, vessel design, basic and production engineering and project development.

The company has designed more than 2,000 vessels, according to its corporate information, and operates teams in Groningen, Rotterdam and Gdansk.

The battery-electric CIP3800 is aimed at extending the platform into markets where shorter sailing distances, fixed routes and access to charging infrastructure can support zero-direct-emission operations.