CORVUS ENERGY: Electrifying the maritime industry Norway-based manufacturer to open Bellingham facility Lorraine Wilde PHOTO: iStockphoto.com/mihtiander
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he maritime industry has historically been a vital part of our regional economy. So, it makes sense that Corvus Energy, a Norway-based manufacturer of zero-emissions maritime battery technology, would choose Bellingham for its new U.S. manufacturing facility. On June 1, 2022, Corvus Energy began modifications to its new facility, located at 300 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven, for which it has a three-year lease with the Port of Bellingham. As a leading supplier of battery energy storage systems for marine applications, Corvus is poised for rapid growth as the marine industry accelerates its adoption of decarbonization technology to meet global targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The journey to Bellingham It was about three years ago that the Port of Bellingham’s director of economic development, Don Goldberg, took a business trip to Norway to learn about the future of the marine industry. “Norway probably leads the world in maritime technology,” Goldberg
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explained. “Clearly, it has the most electrified and hybrid vessels in the world.” In fact, this relatively small nation was the first to produce an all-electric, zero-emissions vessel, a car ferry, in 2014. Today, Norway operates close to 40% of the world’s battery-powered ships. Goldberg’s trip was organized by the Washington State Department of Commerce and Washington Maritime Blue, a member-based nonprofit based in Seattle focused on growing maritime business and technology in our state while simultaneously keeping sustainability and oceans in mind. Goldberg toured Corvus Energy’s new facility during his trip, but he wasn’t exactly new to the concept of hybrid vessels. The port already leases property to All American Marine, a leading manufacturer of vessels with hybrid-electric propulsion systems. “They just built and launched the first hydrogen ferry in the world here about a month ago,” Goldberg said. “My interests in Norway were to potentially recruit companies that would want to bring their technologies to the U.S. to take our maritime industry
into that next generation. Part of that is electrification.” Goldberg and Corvus kept in touch during the pandemic. It was about six months ago that the Fairhaven facility became available, so Goldberg reached out. Corvus considered multiple locations in Washington state and Texas. “Besides offering them the perfect building, we’re also very close to their facility in Richmond, British Columbia,” Goldberg said. “But we also sold them on the fact that about half the ports in the United States are located in Washington. We’re also one of the biggest international trading states, and we have the biggest fleet of ferries in the country. So, it made a lot of sense for them to be here.” “We’re also here because the governor of Washington state is very supportive of green technology,” said Mariella Deltcheva, Corvus Energy interim chief operating officer and plant manager. Although Corvus is planning for extensive sales efforts in Texas, the company wanted its manufacturing efforts to remain near its existing research and development facility in Richmond, just a 45-minute drive for