Rotterdam Port Fund invests in EST‐Floattech

About EST-Floattech

EST-Floattech is a global leader in the field of energy storage systems for the maritime sector. Its battery systems are based on the Li-NMC cell technology, and are characterised by a very high level of safety and their type approval by DNV-GL.

In the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives, the full or partial electrification of propulsion systems can play a vital role. Energy storage systems are an essential component of this transition. In hybrid applications, the storage systems can be used in combination with diesel or LNG engines.

The environmental benefits are manifold: a significant reduction in emissions of harmful substances (NOx and CO2), as well as a reduction in unpleasant odours and engine noise. Depending on the application, the systems can also provide significant cost benefits. EST-Floattech’s battery systems are already used in applications such as Rijkswaterstaat’s new electric multi-purpose vessels and electric excavators.

EST-Floattech was founded in 2009, and for the past four years it has been a subsidiary of Ponooc, an investment fund affiliated with the Dutch family company Pon Group.

Opportunities for the maritime and port-related industry

“The participation of the Rotterdam Port Fund will offer us access to an excellent harbour-related network”, says EST-Floattech Director Trond Skaufel. “Our energy storage systems can be used not only in ships, but also in port cranes and lorries. The environmental benefits are vital, especially in urban areas near ports. At the moment, we are looking at ways to store and re-use energy generated from operating cranes, for example.

We are also following the developments in the field of shore power very closely. When it comes to technology, we are a good complement to some of the other companies in the Rotterdam Port Fund network. For its part, the Pon Group network offers many opportunities for the maritime and port-related industry.”

Contribution to the energy transition in the maritime sector

“Battery systems will provide a major contribution to the energy transition in the maritime sector”, says Bastiaan van der Knaap from the Rotterdam Port Fund. “We are convinced that EST-Floattech is ideally positioned to play a key role in that transition, and we at the Rotterdam Port Fund are looking forward to contributing to that, in cooperation with the management of Ponooc.”

About The Rotterdam Port Fund

The Rotterdam Port Fund is an independent investment fund that aims to invest in companies with innovative port-related activities that have attractive market potential. The fund is an initiative by the Rotterdam Port Authority, NIBC Bank, Innovation Quarter, Koninklijke Doeksen and the Rotterdam entrepreneurs Peter Goedvolk and Luc Braams. It has recently invested in Tagpoint Training, which has developed a unique digital platform for safety training courses, and Magnetic, a Rotterdam technology firm that has brought an innovative magnetic anchoring system to the market.