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Canada's Corvus Energy has been selected as the supplier of lithium-ion-based energy storage systems (ESS) for two new polar expedition cruise vessels being built for a European expedition cruise operator.

Corvus has agreed to supply its Orca energy storage system (Orca ESS) to provide supplemental energy to the vessels in order to improve performance and reduce operating costs and emissions.

The two new state-of-the-art vessels will be designed and customized specifically for polar expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as along the Norwegian coastline.

Each polar exploration vessel has capacity for a 6-megawatt-hour (MWh) Orca ESS to provide operational power. The energy storage system will not only reduce fuel and operating costs but also reduce the environmental impact of each vessel.

In alignment with the operator's goal of environmental sustainability, and while providing its passengers with the experience of exploring some of the world's most exceptionally beautiful and unspoiled natural surroundings, the vessels will be capable of sailing silently on ESS battery power alone into pristine locations.

"The selection of Orca ESS for these two large and technologically advanced expedition cruise ships is further validation of Orca's industry leading safety, performance and reliability innovations," said Halvard Hauso, SVP Business Development of Corvus Energy.

"Corvus is honoured to have Orca ESS as an integral part of the customer's objective of designing these ships with the world's most innovative ship technology. Orca's advancements on safety and performance have not only caught this customer's attention but also the attention of ship builders and integrators around the globe," Hauso added.

As a leading manufacturer of energy storage systems for maritime applications, Corvus designed and built the Orca ESS solutions portfolio based on the experience from more than 65 vessels utilizing a Corvus ESS, totalling more than 35 megawatt-hours (MWh) and 1 million operating hours.

Rather than a single product, the Orca ESS product line delivers a range of products which are designed to meet the needs of various marine customers. Orca Energy is said to be ideal for applications that require large amounts of energy, such as ferries and merchant vessels, while Orca Power was designed for applications that require a seamless response to dynamic power loads, such as offshore supply vessels and port equipment.