The world’s largest all electric ferry, powered by an innovative battery system, recently made its maiden voyage in Denmark.
Most people enjoy a nice ferry journey. Whether it’s over to Manly or Taronga Zoo in Sydney, or the MONA ferry in Tasmania, there are few things more pleasant than travelling by sea to your chosen destination.
However, as many ferry fleets are aging (and sometimes rely on older vessels) and not always the most sustainable mode of transport, this has presented a challenge to ferry operators and environmentally conscious passengers alike.
Enter the always solution focused Scandinavians!
In Denmark, the e-ferry Ellen has recently made her maiden voyage between the ports of Soby and Fynshav, which are located on the islands of Aero and Als to the south of Denmark. At 60 metres long and 13 meters wide, Ellen is an all-electric ferry with the capacity to carry 200 passengers and approximately 30 vehicles.
Powered by two electric motors and a state of the art battery system supplied by Leclanché, a Swiss provider of energy storage solutions globally, the E-ferry uses high-energy G-NMC lithium-ion cells with unique safety features, including a bi-cellular laminated design and ceramic separators.
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said in a media release, that providing this specifically designed unique lithium-ion battery system to this ferry was the precursor to a new era in the commercial marine sector.
With a 4.3MWh capacity, the E-ferry sets a new benchmark in marine propulsion applications and replacing a diesel ferry results in annual emissions savings of:
- 2000 tonnes CO2
- 42 tonnes NOX
- 2.5 tonnes of particulates
- 1.4 tonnes SO2
Funded in part by a European Union research and innovation project, the Ellen has been designed with unique integrated battery and transmission systems that offer unparalleled operating efficiency, and she is the world’s largest zero emissions, fully electric ferry.
Here in Australia, recent reporting by Energy Networks Australia suggested that Tasmania could emerge as the most likely hub for similar e-ferry transportation, given their high penetration level of renewables.
*E-ferry image courtesy of Leclanché
*As the system and market operator, we are fuel and technology neutral. The products, services and providers in this content are for illustrative purposes only and are not endorsed by AEMO.
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