MOL PLUS, the investment arm of Japan’s largest shipowner, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), is buying into Fleetzero, an American developer of marine battery systems capable of going on much longer voyages than the majority of batteries on the market today.
The Japanese shipowner said it intends to get some Fleetzero batteries installed on its fleet while working to get other Japanese owners interested in the technology. Fleetzero, founded by two former American seafarers, claims its Leviathan battery is the world’s most energy-dense battery pack.
Including vessels on order, the number of ships fitted with battery setups surpassed the 1,000 mark last year, according to class society DNV and the Maritime Battery Forum.