Corvus Orca is first marine ESS to win ClassNK type approval

Corvus Energy reports that its Corvus Orca energy storage system has become the first marine ESS to receive type approval from Japanese classification society ClassNK.

“The pace of social change is accelerating, necessitating an increased effort to move forward with frontrunners to tackle these challenges,” said Masaki Matsunaga, executive vice president / director of plan approval and technical solution division at ClassNK, noting that the Orca ESS type approval is expected to as a major milestone in increasing the number of vessels equipped with lithium-ion energy storage systems.

The Orca ESS is the first-ever marine battery to get this type approval since the ClassNK rules for marine energy storage systems came into effect in January 2023.

The Orca ESS system is suitable for a variety of marine applications and vessel types. To date more than 600 vessels and port applications worldwide have an Orca system installed.

“ClassNK is one of the largest classification societies and certainly the largest in Asia. Getting this approval is an important milestone and is yet another proof of the quality and safety of the system,” said Kolbjørn Berge, SVP global regulatory at Corvus Energy. “As ClassNK registers approximately 20% of the world merchant fleet in terms of gross tonnage, it´s important for Corvus Energy to ensure easy implementation of our products on board vessels classed by ClassNK.

Corvus Energy has long had a clear strategy to expand in the Japanese market and has established long-term collaboration and partnerships with a number of large Japanese corporations.

In 2021 Corvus Energy announced the founding of Sumisho Corvus Energy Co., Ltd. – a 50/50 JV with Sumitomo Corporation in order to be ready for the growing electrification of vessels in Japan and southeast Asia. The first orders for batteries are already installed, with Corvus batteries running onboard the harbor tugboat Taiga, an eco-friendly tug operating in the ports of Yokohama, and on the world’s first zero-emission tanker vessels Asahi and Akari, operating in Tokyo Bay. The same year Corvus Energy also announced its partnership with Toyota Motor to develop marine fuel cells based on Toyota fuel cell technology and in November 2023, Toyotas invested in Corvus through their investment company Woven.

“To have the Japanese type approval in place is an important milestone for Corvus,” said Sumisho Corvus Energy general manager Birger Myklebust. “Thanks to open communication and close cooperation with ClassNK, this is now in place and we can offer ClassNK certified products to our customers.”

In addition to ClassNK, the Corvus Orca ESS already holds certifications from DNV, ABS, RINA, BV and KR