The HYBA project has been recognized for its contribution to the energy transition of the fishing industry, receiving the Audience Choice Award at the Ocean Innovation Awards 2026 ceremony held in Saint-Malo, France, on October 29, 2026. Organized by Crédit Maritime Grand Ouest as part of the Route du Rhum events, the awards celebrate innovative initiatives that support the sustainable development of maritime industries.
Led by the CRPMEM Bretagne and supported by a consortium of industry and technology partners, including WATTALPS, HYBA aims to modernize fishing fleets for greater sustainability through an innovative hybrid propulsion solution combining thermal and electric power.
Driving efficiency and sustainability in fishing operations
Designed for both retrofit projects and new vessel construction, the HYBA system aims at reducing fuel consumption while maintaining the operational performance required by fishing professionals.
The first phase of the project, HYBA I, delivered highly encouraging results, demonstrating fuel savings of 20 to 25% on retrofit applications. Building on this success, HYBA II will focus on validating these results in real operating conditions at sea and preparing the technology for wider deployment across the sector.
Enabling peak shaving with immersion-cooled batteries
In fishing operations, vessel power demand can fluctuate significantly during maneuvers, hauling operations, or periods of high propulsion load. Traditionally, engines must be sized to accommodate these power peaks, leading to higher fuel consumption and reduced efficiency during normal operation.
By integrating WATTALPS’ immersion cooling technology, these power peaks are managed by the battery system rather than the diesel engine. This allows the engine to operate closer to its optimal efficiency point while reducing fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and mechanical stress.
WATTALPS’ immersion cooling technology is particularly well suited to demanding marine environments. By fully immersing battery cells and busbars in a dielectric cooling fluid, the system ensures highly effective thermal management, enhanced safety, and consistent performance even under high power loads. This capability enables the battery to deliver and absorb large amounts of power repeatedly, making peak shaving a practical and reliable solution for fishing vessels.
Recognition for a collaborative project
During the award ceremony in Saint-Malo, Astrid Hirsch (CRPMEM Bretagne) and Éric Guygniec (APAK) received the prize and were congratulated by Catherine Chabaud, Minister for the Sea and Fisheries.
The award also recognizes the collective commitment and expertise of all project partners including Armement APAK, IMT Atlantique, Coprexma, SCAPAK, Vectura System, WATTALPS, Masson Marine, Marinélec, Cépralmar, FPD&R – France Pêche Durable et Responsable and France Filière Pêche.
