Eitzen Group to Build 850 TEU Battery-Powered Containerships with Enova Backing

Norwegian shipping company Eitzen Group is moving forward with plans to construct what could become the world’s largest battery-powered containerships. The initiative is being led by Eitzen Avanti, part of Axel Eitzen’s network of maritime businesses, and has secured NOK 200 million (approximately $19 million) in funding from Enova, a Norwegian government-owned enterprise supporting clean energy transitions.

The project will see the development of two all-electric containerships, each with a capacity of 850 TEU and battery systems exceeding 100 MWh. The vessels are intended for deployment on short-sea routes between Norway, Sweden, and Germany.

Eitzen Avanti oversees several subsidiaries, including Christiania Shipping, which operates chemical tankers and LPG vessels, and Eitzen Electric, which focuses on zero-emission shipping technologies.

“These projects demonstrate what is now achievable with battery electrification in the maritime sector,” said Andreas Jahn, senior maritime transport advisor at Enova. “The technology has reached a level of maturity, and viable projects are emerging. If the electrification of car ferries marked the first wave, we hope this will signal the beginning of a second wave in short-sea shipping.”

The vessels would surpass the current largest battery-powered boxship, the Greenwater 01, developed by China’s COSCO.