Dutch ship designer Conoship unveils battery-electric coaster with 650-mile range

Dutch ship designer Conoship International has unveiled a fully electric version of its CIP3800 general cargo platform, combining a 40-MWh battery system with a range of up to 650 nautical miles, according to Conoship International.

The 89.43-metre vessel has a moulded breadth of 13.20 metres and a draft of 5.20 metres. Its modular battery system is designed to deliver 350 nautical miles at 10 knots or up to 650 nautical miles at 8 knots, including allowances for sea margin and hotel loads.

The electric version has a cargo intake of 3,200 tonnes and a single box-shaped hold of 4,737 cubic metres for bulk commodities, general cargo and project cargo. Conoship has split the batteries between forward and aft compartments to maintain trim without additional water ballast, and removing tanks for heavy fuel oil, marine gas oil, lubricating oil and sludge partly offsets the extra battery weight.

The vessel is designed for zero direct emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx and particulate matter when operating on battery power. The battery architecture can accommodate both NMC and LFP cells.

Conoship sales director Maarten Sickler said the strength of the CIP3800 lies in its versatility. Conoship is targeting fixed coastal routes, green shipping corridors, Scandinavian fjord services and emission-restricted waters. A smaller generator set, potentially running on sustainable drop-in biofuels, can be installed as a range extender or emergency take-home system where shore charging is insufficient.

The design retains the hull form of the existing CIP3800 platform rather than introducing a new hull. More than 30 vessels based on the platform had been built worldwide by July. A separate six-ship CIP3800 series for Norwegian short-sea operator Wilson ASA was completed this year, with the final vessel, Wilson ECO VI, delivered by India’s Udupi Cochin Shipyard.

Conoship International is an independent Dutch ship design and engineering company founded in 1952, with more than 2,000 ships built to its designs. Its activities include feasibility studies, consultancy, vessel design, basic and production engineering and project development, with teams in Groningen, Rotterdam and Gdansk.