AET Tanker Holdings and Fleetzero have entered into an agreement to develop the world’s “longest-range” plug-in hybrid electric vessel.

The partnership was formalised at AET’s offshore office in Galveston, Texas, US.

The initiative will see AET’s Lightering Support Vessel retrofitted with Fleetzero’s plug-in hybrid-electric system.

This transformation is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 82% compared to traditional vessels, translating to an avoidance of 1,220t of greenhouse gases annually.

Fleetzero co-founder and CEO Steven Henderson said: “We are so excited about this project because it promises to advance marine electrification in a commercially viable way, and the impact is immense – drastically reducing emissions from the vessel operations.

“Many of us at Fleetzero have served at sea as mariners, and we designed our technology to enhance mariner safety and ease of operations, not only to improve emissions and efficiency.”

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The retrofit not only ensures environmental benefits but also anticipates reductions in fuel consumption and maintenance costs, all while upholding stringent safety protocols.

MISC Group president and group CEO Zahid Osman said: “This partnership marks a pivotal step in our decarbonisation journey and energy transition strategy.

“We are proud to partner Fleetzero in developing the world’s largest plug-in hybrid-electric LSV, reinforcing our commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions in the maritime industry.

“By integrating plug-in hybrid electric solutions into our fleet, we are transforming ambition into action to deliver more energy with less emissions.”

In 2022, Thailand-based oil and gas company PTT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AET to develop two new zero-emission Aframax vessels.

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