Damen Shipyards Group has ordered two additional Octopus battery systems from EST-Floattech for installation on Damen Combi Freighter 3850 cargo vessels.

The latest order continues the companies’ cooperation in reducing emissions from commercial shipping and extends the framework agreement between Damen Cargo Vessels and EST-Floattech.

Once the new systems are delivered, the total number of EST-Floattech battery installations designated for CF 3850 vessels will rise to nine.

The companies formalised their cooperation in November 2024, when Damen Cargo Vessels and EST-Floattech signed an agreement covering the integration of energy storage systems on cargo vessels.

The CF 3850 is a versatile cargo vessel designed primarily for the short-sea shipping market.

Over the past five years, Damen has secured orders for 50 new-generation CF 3850 vessels, making the platform one of the company’s most successful projects in this segment.

The vessel is designed with efficiency as a core priority.

The CF 3850 features an optimised hull form and can be equipped with a range of technologies intended to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

One of these options is the modular EST-Floattech Octopus battery system.

Depending on the operator’s requirements, battery capacity can range from 240 kWh to 1,320 kWh.

The final configuration is tailored to each vessel’s operating profile.

The battery system can be used for peak shaving, absorbing short-duration power demand peaks and reducing the load on onboard generators.

It can also provide additional power for the bow thruster during manoeuvring.

With a sufficiently large battery package, the vessel can also perform certain port operations with zero local emissions from onboard power generation, using stored electrical energy instead.

However, the CF 3850 is not a fully electric vessel.

The battery installation operates as part of the vessel’s wider energy system and complements the conventional propulsion and power-generation arrangement.

Damen says the modular architecture of the Octopus system allows battery capacity to be scaled according to the specific requirements of individual shipowners and operators.

Arjan de Vries, Procurement Manager at Damen Cargo Vessels, said the company aims to integrate proven technologies into the established CF 3850 platform.

According to Damen, the Octopus system combines reliability with the flexibility to adapt the battery configuration to different customer requirements.

EST-Floattech also noted that repeated installations on the same vessel type provide valuable operational data.

This allows the company to compare performance across vessels and continuously improve future generations of its battery systems.

For both companies, the CF 3850 is becoming a platform on which battery technology is moving from isolated pilot projects toward more standardised integration in commercial cargo shipping.

The latest order for two Octopus systems will bring the total number installed across the CF 3850 series to nine, supporting the gradual expansion of hybrid energy solutions in short-sea shipping.