Sources reported that the newly developed AQUBE liquid-cooled battery system has won its first commercial order, to power a new research vessel being built by Lloyd Werft for the German Aerospace centre (DLR).
The order, described in the report published on 21 August 2026, will see the high-power energy storage platform AQUBE installed aboard a 48-metre by 11.5-metre seagoing technology platform being constructed for DLR. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2027.
The AQUBE unit is presented as a liquid-cooled, high-power energy storage platform and this contract represents its debut commercial sale. The system was chosen by shipbuilder Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven to supply propulsion or hotel-load power for the research platform, according to the report.
Lloyd Werft’s role on the project is as builder of the new seagoing technology platform for the German Aerospace centre. The yard in Bremerhaven is named in the report as the party selecting AQUBE for installation during the newbuild’s outfitting.
DLR is identified in the report as Germany’s national research centre for aeronautics, space, energy and transport. The vessel is described as a technology platform, intended to support the centre’s sea-going research activities when delivered in 2027.
The AQUBE system
The announcement frames AQUBE as a freshly developed, liquid-cooled energy storage solution aimed at high-power maritime applications. The reported contract is the system’s first commercial deployment and will place the equipment aboard a nation‑level research vessel project.
This purchase is positioned as the commercial debut for what the supplier describes as a new product; the report does not provide additional technical specifications beyond the platform being liquid-cooled and intended for high-power use.
The DLR research platform
The vessel under construction for DLR is stated to measure 48 metres in length and 11.5 metres in beam. The report calls it a seagoing technology platform and records that Lloyd Werft will deliver the vessel in 2027.
DLR’s remit is summarised in the report as encompassing aeronautics, space, energy and transport, and the organisation is named as the client for this technology platform.
Timeline and context
The report dated 21 August 2026 sets delivery of the completed vessel in 2027. Beyond the installation of the AQUBE system and the vessel dimensions, no further programme milestones or operational roles are detailed in the item.
The reports item serves as the public notice that the AQUBE system has moved from development into its first commercial application, and that a German national research organisation will be its initial maritime customer.