Starnav Elektra: Brazil's First Hybrid Vessel with an All-Female Crew

The Starnav Elektra, built by Estaleiro Detroit in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, became the first hybrid-propulsion vessel built in Brazil. The vessel has a crew made up entirely of women, led by Captain Isabela Teixeira Ponce de Leon, and was delivered in September to begin a twelve-year contract with Petrobras.

The vessel, classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as the first hybrid PSV designed and built in Brazil, incorporates a 1,322 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery system installed on the main deck, sized to maintain DP2 dynamic positioning for 20 minutes in the event of an engine failure. With a deadweight of 5,500 tons, a length overall of 92.1 meters, a beam of 20 meters and a service speed of 12 knots, the vessel is also prepared to operate on renewable fuels such as HVO.

According to Brazil's Ministry of Ports and Airports, construction of the Elektra reached an estimated local content of between 65% and 70%, a figure also highlighted by the outlet Porto e Navios, which noted that the hybrid PSV reached 65% local content. The portal Baird Maritime, meanwhile, noted that the contract signed with Petrobras requires a minimum threshold of 40% local content during the construction stage.

The crew is made up entirely of women, who hold positions as master, in the engine room, on the bridge and in other operational roles. According to Antaq's 2nd Survey on Gender Equity in the Waterway Transport Sector, women accounted for 17.8% of jobs in the sector in 2024, with a 10% share in operational roles. During the vessel's construction, an average of 58 women took part, working across engineering, planning, quality, supply, safety and production areas.

The Starnav Elektra is the first of a planned series of up to ten hybrid vessels, which will include six PSVs and four oil spill response vessels. In December 2024, Petrobras awarded contracts for twelve PSVs, split evenly between Starnav and Bram Offshore, with six units each.