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• 3 min de lectura
EST-Floattech was contracted by the Dutch system integrator Van Tiem Elektro to supply its Octopus High Energy battery systems for a new series of 15 river cruise ships.
The vessels are being outfitted at De Gerlien van Tiem in Druten and Vahali shipyards in Ghent for a group of cruise operators, including AmaWaterways and Uniworld, who sail the Danube and Black Sea region.
Each vessel will be equipped with a battery capacity of 650 kWh, bringing the total order to 9.7 MWh, one of EST-Floattech's largest river cruise contracts to date.
This order builds on the existing relationship between EST-Floattech and Van Tiem Elektro, who have collaborated on previous maritime electrification projects. The Wamel-based system integrator is already familiar with the Octopus platform thanks to its experience with tanker vessels and river cruise ships, such as the Solara and the Astara.
Onboard, the Octopus HE systems enable partial electric navigation, auxiliary service charging, and emergency power supply. The platform combines EST-Floattech's internally developed module and cell technology with a string controller for easy MODbus integration into existing vessel systems. It holds type approval from DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd's Register, ABS, and RINA.
Marinus van der Putte, Sales Director at EST-Floattech, noted that "this order is based on mutual trust. Van Tiem Elektro always looks for solutions, which makes working with them a real pleasure. We had collaborated before, and that long-term relationship, along with their knowledge of our Octopus platform and their experience in system integration, made this a natural step into the river cruise market for both companies."
With shipyards across Europe fully booked, work is already underway on the first hulls in the series, with final deliveries scheduled until 2030. This order reflects the continued boom in the river cruise sector, where operators, mainly Swiss and German, along with one American and one Chinese operator, continue to invest in electrification to reduce emissions and meet the demand for onboard services.
Maarten Soetekouw, co-owner of Van Tiem Elektro, stated that "this is one of the largest electrification projects we have undertaken: 9.7 MWh distributed across 15 vessels represents a real breakthrough for sustainable river cruising, and we are proud to carry it out."
"EST-Floattech's Octopus platform is a system our engineers are already well acquainted with, and that experience gives us great confidence in a project of this magnitude. Their price was competitive, but just as important is our collaboration: open, practical, and focused on achieving goals. We look forward to a long-term collaboration throughout this entire series of vessels," added Soetekouw.
