Asahi Tanker Joins the Maritime Battery Forum to Advance Battery-Powered Shipping in Japan and Beyond
The Netherlands, 19th August 2025 - The Maritime Battery Forum (MBF) is proud to welcome Asahi Tanker, a leading Japanese shipping company pioneering battery-electric and hybrid vessel operations, as the newest member of its global community of maritime battery enablers.
With more than 70 years of maritime experience and a legacy stretching back over a century, Asahi Tanker provides safe and reliable petroleum and chemical marine transportation services across Japan and internationally. The company combines this deep operational heritage with forward-looking sustainability initiatives, including the deployment of the world’s first fully battery-powered coastal oil tankers.
Driving Maritime Decarbonization Since 2019
Asahi Tanker’s journey into maritime battery technology began in 2019, when the team visited Bergen, Norway, and witnessed battery-electric propulsion ships in operation for the first time. Inspired by the potential to reduce emissions and operational burdens, the company committed to introducing battery-electric propulsion into its own fleet.
Since then, Asahi Tanker has taken bold steps toward electrification. Today, it operates two pure battery-electric tankers and one hybrid-electric bulker in Japan—vessels that contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions, quieter port operations, and reduced strain on crews. While these ships currently represent a small proportion of the fleet, Asahi Tanker has made clear its ambition to expand battery-powered operations steadily in the years ahead.
Commitment to Innovation and Collaboration
The company’s decision to join the Maritime Battery Forum is rooted in its vision for a more sustainable shipping industry. “We are happy to be a member of MBF. As a company that operates battery electric propulsion vessels, we would like to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society,” an Asahi Tanker representative said.
Through its MBF membership, Asahi Tanker seeks inspiration, technical exchange, and collaborative opportunities that will help refine and expand its initiatives. The company views battery-electric propulsion as a “powerful and concrete option” to reduce environmental impact, ease the workload on seafarers, and support global decarbonization goals.
Making a Global Impact
Asahi Tanker’s contributions to the MBF community will be grounded in practical operational experience with battery-powered vessels. At a time when decarbonization targets are set but the pathway remains uncertain, Asahi Tanker believes its mission is to take bold, concrete steps that can inspire change across the maritime sector.
By engaging with MBF’s international network of innovators, regulators, and industry leaders, the company aims to share lessons learned from operating battery-electric ships, help shape industry standards, and accelerate the safe adoption of battery technology worldwide.
About the Maritime Battery Forum
The Maritime Battery Forum was founded with the aim of promoting new and efficient energy storage technologies in the maritime industry. With over 90 members in 3 continents, the MBF works to disseminate information, facilitate discussion about and review new technology which is complementary to battery technology-based solutions or in one way or the other play an important role towards a zero-emission vision.
Contact :
Ayomide Miracle Salifu
Community & Communications Manager
Email : ayomidesalifu@maritimebatteryforum.com
Website: www.maritimebatteryforum.com
