Battery Bulker to get Solar Panels
After delivering its first full-scale seagoing project last week, Wattlab has been contracted to outfit the hatches of the BRF Froan with its onboard solar energy system.
Owned by Norwegian shipping company Berge Rederi, the vessel will be the world’s largest battery-powered bulk carrier. BRF Froan is expected to be delivered in Q2 2026 and will transport marble from Brønnøy and Visnes to a production plant in Elnesvågen.
The vessel is currently under construction and will sail to Norway next summer. At a stop-over in Flushing, the Netherlands, Wattlab will install the 96 Solar Flatracks in one day. Production will start in May at their new production facility in the port of Rotterdam.
BRF Froan will feature two 24m x 4m rotor sails saving an average of 339 kW per voyage.
The 23.5MWh battery package will be charged at the loading port in Remman (Brønnøy) and the discharging port in Elnesvågen. Shore power facilities will be installed in both ports. Additionally, the ship is fitted with an electric excavator to ensure emission-free cargo operations.
