NORWAY-based Eitzen Avanti will build the world’s largest battery-powered containerships, with help from a green grant from Norwegian government climate fund Enova.

The state-run financer is handing out a total of NOK362m ($36.6m) to several decarbonisation projects in shipping, which it says will save 20,836 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

The two electric containerships will operate across Norway, Sweden and Germany and transport up to 850 containers with zero emissions. Both ships will have battery packs with more than 100 MW hours’ worth of power installed.

Enova senior adviser in maritime transport Andreas Forsnes Jahn said the “projects each show in their own way what is possible with battery electrification in shipping”.

“The technology is now mature and the projects exist. If the electrification of car ferries was the first wave, we hope this will be the start of the second electrification wave in shortsea shipping.”

This latest round of funding will also support the installation of a charging system for the two vessels at the port of Oslo’s container terminal on Sjursøya.

Alongside the two containerships, Enova will support several other Norwegian decarbonisation projects, including an all-electric bulk carrier for Polar Energy Shipco, which will carry minerals along Norway’s coastline.