AYK Energy to Supply Polarstern Battery

AYK Energy has secured a contract to supply the largest battery ever installed on an ice class vessel for Germany’s next generation polar research ship Polarstern.

The partnership for the new diesel-electric vessel currently under development for the Alfred Wegener Institute has been signed directly with Wärtsilä.

The AYK Energy Pisces+ battery system, with a capacity of 16 megawatt-hours (MWh) and weighing 131 tonnes, will be delivered in 2028. The vessel itself is due to enter service in 2030.

The Polarstern replaces Germany’s existing flagship polar research vessel and is designed to support year-round operations in the Arctic and Antarctic, including extended missions in heavy ice. Builder TKMS has published detailed specifications for the vessel.

Pisces+ will form the core of the vessel’s hybrid diesel-electric power architecture, enabling peak shaving, load optimisation and low emission operations during sensitive scientific work. Battery power will also enable quieter operations, reducing the associated noise and vibration that can often interfere with research activities.