Yara Marine Technologies aims to expand into new green technology for the maritime industry, and its accelerator program for startups aspires to tap into green marine technologies.
Yara Marine Technologies started the Yara Marine X program in the beginning of the year. Now, after months of search, Yara found a winner.
Namely, as Thomas Koniordos, CEO of Yara Marine Technologies said, Phoenician Energy’s use of aluminum-air battery technology was a winner. Their container battery is a concept that taps into several recent trends and developments, such as circular economy and electrification of marine vessels.
Phoenician Energy has also developed a 4,8 MWh system enclosed in a 20-foot shipping container.
Jesper Hellström, Yara Marine’s Head of Research and Development, states:
Charging an Al-air battery actually happens at an aluminum production plant. You may say that the battery consumes aluminum, the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Furthermore, the alumina generated from the aluminum in the battery, as it depletes, is a valued commodity
What is more, Al–air batteries have one of the highest energy densities of all batteries, with more than four times the capacity of the conventional lithium-ion battery. Higher density means that longer ranges can be achieved, and a smaller footprint means more space for revenue-producing cargo.
In addition, Udi Erell, Founder and President at Phoenician Energy added that they do not recharge their system onboard, instead, and they replace it with a fully charged one, eliminating downtime that would be required for recharging conventional batteries.
The consumed battery is then reequipped with new aluminum and it is ready to go another turn. Furthermore, Aluminum-air batteries do not lose capacity when not in use nor do they degrade over time. In addition, there is noo danger for temperature runaway.
In less than a month, Phoenician Energy will be the first start-up to enter the Yara Marine X’ six-month program, after which Yara Marine Technologies may choose to invest in the company and its technology.
