Corvus Energy, a supplier of marine-related battery energy storage systems, is expanding its U.S. operations and opening a new factory at the Port of Bellingham, port officials revealed in late May.
The announcement was more than three years in the making. It began with a partnership with Corvus Energy and the port and several delegations to Norway to reach out to government officials and organizations.
Among the delegates was Don Goldberg, the director of the port’s Economic Development Division who was instrumental in recruiting Corvus to Whatcom County.
“Support from the Port of Bellingham in identifying a location was outstanding, they went above and beyond to help us in the site selection process,” Corvus Energy said in a prepared statement. “Knowing that we had strong, long-term partners that would support our growth plans made the final decision to expand easy.”
Company CEO Geir Bjørkeli said that Corvus has seen “a significant uptake in orders from the U.S. market as well as a growing commitment” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Washington state was a natural choice for Corvus due to the presence of a strong maritime cluster, the state’s focus on green shipping, and the proximity to our large team near Vancouver, Canada,” Bjørkeli explained.
“We know that a U.S. presence and close collaboration with shipyards, shipowners, Washington Maritime Blue and other suppliers and service providers foster innovation across the entire industry and build valuable competence,” Bjørkeli added. “This will work as an accelerator to create local, green jobs.”
To help set up the new facility, the port received a $250,000 strategic reserve fund grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.
