Taiwanese Firm Unveils Immersion-Cooled Marine Batteries Aimed at Maritime Sector

Xing Mobility, a battery manufacturer located in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, has introduced its Immersio CTP system at the SMM Hamburg maritime trade fair. The technology submerges individual battery cells directly into a liquid coolant that absorbs heat without conducting electricity, though the fluid itself is flammable. According to the company, this setup eliminates the metal module boxes and external enclosures found in conventional marine batteries, cutting down dead weight and significantly increasing energy storage capacity.

Regulatory pressures, particularly from European Union emissions rules, are increasingly steering shipowners toward electric propulsion alternatives. Xing asserts that its cell-to-pack architecture achieves roughly 200 watt-hours per kilogram based on laboratory tests, utilizing cylindrical 21700 cells with nickel manganese cobalt or nickel cobalt aluminum chemistries. This figure surpasses some existing commercial offerings, such as the Dolphin NxtGen Energy system from Norway's Corvus Energy, though industry comparisons note that Xing's metrics currently stem from controlled lab environments rather than maritime deployments.

Beyond capacity, the system addresses the critical safety challenge of thermal runaway, wherein a failing cell rapidly overheats and threatens adjacent units. By surrounding each cell with coolant, the design removes the thermal barriers typical of traditional cold-plate cooling. While academic experts consider the rapid cooling claims physically feasible, the system still awaits critical maritime certifications, such as approval from the Norwegian ship-equipment certifier DNV.

What to watch next: Look for updates on whether Xing Mobility secures formal marine safety certifications from major certifiers like DNV for its CTP battery packs.