VESSEL REVIEW | Akari – Battery-powered bunkering ship for Japan’s Asahi Tankers

Japanese shipping company Asahi Tanker has taken delivery of a new bunkering vessel that will operate entirely on battery power.

Akari is the second in a series of battery-powered bunkering tankers designed by Japanese consortium e5 Lab and built by Imura Shipbuilding. As with its earlier sister Asahi, Akari will provide bunkering services for ships in the Keihin region, which encompasses the cities of Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama.

The vessel has an LOA of 58 metres, a beam of 10 metres, a draught of four metres, a displacement of 497 tonnes, and an LNG cargo capacity of 1,297 cubic metres. A Corvus Orca Energy 3,480kWh lithium-ion battery pack drives Kawasaki electric motors to propel the vessel to speeds of just over 12 knots. A full charge of the batteries will allow the vessel to sail up to 100 kilometres.

The batteries are designed to also supply power for the vessel’s other activities such as cargo handling. This ensures that bunkering operations are undertaken without greenhouse gas emissions and that engine maintenance requirements are reduced. The use of batteries also generates only minimal noise and vibrations, ensuring a more comfortable onboard environment for the crew.

Akari has already begun operating in Tokyo Bay out of the Port of Kawasaki, where shore charging facilities are available. Charging of the batteries to full capacity can be completed in as little as 10 hours.

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