Corvus Energy has celebrated the opening of its new battery factory in Bellingham WA, with guests including the Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, Norway’s Ambassador to the USA, Anniken Krutnes and US representative Rick Larsen along with customers, industry partners and government agencies.
The new battery plant is located in Fairhaven at the Port of Bellingham and is a key step in the expansion of Corvus’ US operations.
Geir Bjørkeli, CEO Corvus Energy said: “We have seen a significant uptake in opportunities for maritime batteries from the US market. Increased capacity and production flexibility will be key to meeting this anticipated growth. Washington state was a natural choice for Corvus due to its presence of a strong maritime cluster, the state’s focus on green shipping, and the proximity to our Richmond facility in Canada. US presence and close collaboration with shipyards, shipowners, Washington Maritime Blue as well as other suppliers and service providers foster innovation across the entire industry and build valuable competence and local green jobs”.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee said: “I am so thrilled to be with you today to celebrate the opening of your new facility. Climate change is a huge threat, and it has since long been my dream to build a clean energy economy. I have seen the future when I visited an electric ferry in Norway last year. No fuel – no noise – no vibration – the crew members were thrilled, and they all want to work onboard electric ferries. Bringing Corvus Energy to Washington state is a step in the right direction. I hope for a bright forthcoming industry here in Washington and that it will generate lots of new green energy jobs as we go along.”
Ole Jacob Irgens, President Americas Corvus Energy added: “We see a big change. Ship owners, designers, naval architects as well as electric propulsion integrators in North and South America are turning to Corvus in record numbers, The US factory, along with a more robust sales and service organization, will ensure that we can better service our US customers. Our customers see great value in Corvus’ investments in North America and our efforts in creating green jobs in local communities such as Bellingham. In addition, it is critical for our customer’s success that Corvus provides local support and service to their operations.”
The Bellingham Plant will produce the modules for Corvus Energy’s Orca ESS. There have been close to 650 Corvus Orca projects with a combined energy storage capacity of 550 MWh worldwide since its introduction in 2016. The Bellingham factory produced its first Orca battery module in November 2022 and has already delivered several orders.
