Marine battery maker AYK Energy has signed a second contract with Spanish ship owner Mureloil to supply its 4.2MWh Aries+ battery system for the Bahía Beatriz vessel.
Bahía Beatriz is an 8,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) product tanker, which is presently being constructed at the Astilleros de Murueta shipyard, located outside Bilbao, Spain.
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The arrangement follows the previous installation of the same battery system on the Bahía Candela, another tanker of equal size operated by Mureloil.
The two vessels will have diesel-electric hybrid systems.
According to AYK Energy, the two tankers will be among the first worldwide to run on diesel-electric power, allowing Mureloil to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%. Emissions will be eliminated while in port, as the vessels can operate solely on electric power during port operations.
The new tankers are expected to expand Mureloil’s capacity in biofuel and methanol transport as part of its activities in the sustainable marine fuels sector.
AYK Energy founder Chris Kruger confirmed the new agreement was signed after a site visit at the company’s factory in Zhuhai, China.
Kruger said: “Although these vessels are hybrid diesel-electric, we are now seeing that the technology is there to go fully electric – not just on ferries, offshore support vessels (OSVs) and workboats but also tankers like these. But seeing batteries on tankers is a significant moment for electric power.
“The energy density of batteries is increasing, the price is reducing, and the payback period is quicker. AYK’s latest innovation with Mureloil sends a bold message that batteries are fundamental to the maritime decarbonisation journey. Batteries are just getting bigger and better, all the while slashing more emissions.”
Kruger added that the battery system will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology, which he said AYK Energy is demonstrating can outperform nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries.
In July 2025, AYK Energy received type approval from DNV for its latest range of marine batteries.
