EST-Floattech to power 15 new river cruise
EST-Floattech will supply battery systems for 15 new river cruise vessels for operators including AmaWaterways and Uniworld.
Dutch battery specialist EST-Floattech has secured a major contract to supply systems for 15 new river cruise ships. The order, placed by system integrator Van Tiem Elektro, is for vessels that will sail for operators including AmaWaterways and Uniworld on the Danube and in the Black Sea region.
According to a report from Seatrade Cruise News, each vessel will be equipped with 650 kWh of battery capacity. This brings the total order volume to 9.7 MWh, marking it as one of EST-Floattech's largest river cruise contracts to date.
Vessel outfitting and specifications
The newbuilds are currently being outfitted at two shipyards: De Gerlien van Tiem in Druten, Netherlands, and Vahali Shipyards in Ghent, Belgium. With European outfitting yards described as fully booked, work on the first hulls is already underway. Final deliveries for the entire series are scheduled through 2030.
The battery capacity for each ship is standardized across the fleet. The following table details the key figures from the contract:
| Vessel Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Number of Vessels | 15 |
| Battery Capacity per Vessel | 650 kWh |
| Total Contract Capacity | 9.7 MWh |
| Primary Operators | AmaWaterways, Uniworld |
| Key Sailing Regions | Danube, Black Sea region |
Technology and integration
EST-Floattech will supply its Octopus High Energy (HE) battery systems for the project. Onboard, these systems are designed to enable partial electric sailing, handle hotel load demands, and provide emergency back-up power. The Octopus platform combines the company's proprietary cell and module technology with a string controller for integration into a ship's existing systems via MODbus.
The platform holds type approval from major classification societies including DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd's Register, ABS, and RINA. Marinus van der Putte, sales manager at EST-Floattech, attributed the large order to an established partnership. "This order is built on mutual trust," van der Putte said. He described Van Tiem Elektro as "always solution-oriented," which made them a pleasure to work with.
Industry shift towards electrification
The contract shows the river cruise sector's continued investment in sustainable technology. Maarten Soetekouw, co-owner of Van Tiem Elektro, called the deal "a real step forward for sustainable river cruising." He noted his engineers' familiarity with the Octopus platform from earlier projects, which provided confidence for this larger-scale series.
The collaboration builds on prior work between the two companies on other maritime electrification projects. These include river cruise vessels like APT's Solara and Astara. Soetekouw expressed anticipation for a long-term collaboration across the entire 15-vessel series, reflecting the industry's momentum to reduce emissions and meet growing onboard power demands.
