The Munich-based Scorpio Group, a company led by the Lauro family, has made a strategic investment in the Britishvolt electric vehicle (EV) battery startup aimed at carrying out research and development on the power supply and storage options for battery systems for application in the maritime transport
“Britishvolt’s access to the UK’s most innovative scientific community ensures that we can work together to further accelerate green propulsion and potentially energy storage solutions for the maritime sector,” said Filippo Lauro, Vice President of Scorpio, a group that holds significant stakes (among others) in the shipowning companies Scorpio Tankers and Eneti active respectively in the markets for tankers and ships for the installation and repair of offshore wind farms.
In recent times, several shipping companies have been studying electric and hydrogen-powered ships as zero-emission options for shipping, with several trials underway for both technologies. Emission-free ferries have been operating in Scandinavian waters for several years, including the Tycho Brahe and Aurora ferries operated by Swedish ForSea between Helsingborg in Sweden and Helsingor in Denmark.
In March, Britishvolt launched a funding round with an initial investment of £ 40 million ($ 53 million) from mining giant Glencore.
The company also secured British government support for a battery plant project in the north of England, unlocking £ 1.7 billion ($ 2.10 billion) of private funding.
Scorpio and Britishvolt did not disclose the size of the strategic investment made but a source told Reuters it was a few million pounds.
Source : Shipping Italy
