Norway's Eitzen Group has ordered two of the largest electric containerships for service in the North Sea, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.

The order was placed with Zhejiang Dongpeng Shipbuilding & Repairing in China, with deliveries scheduled in 24 and 27 months. Eitzen stated that the project consolidates its focus on maritime electrification, with group company Zen leading the effort.

Each vessel will have a capacity of 900 TEU and will operate on a new electric freight corridor linking Hamburg, Gothenburg, and Oslo. The ships will be among the largest battery-powered container vessels in commercial service.

The propulsion system will rely on battery packs exceeding 100 MWh, providing a range of 500 to 600 nautical miles. The batteries, built at a plant in Tandberg, Norway, are said to have twice the energy density of comparable solutions and can withstand permanent immersion in water.

Fridtjof C Eitzen, co-founder and chief executive of Zen, remarked that electrification is now commercially viable on selected trade routes. He added that Zen was established to lead the transition and build the infrastructure needed to scale electric shipping.