‘A couple of years ago, the industry believed that 20 minutes, maybe half an hour on a 10-12 knot car ferry operation was the maximum you can do on battery-only,’ says Hauso. ‘Now this project has shown us that the battery can go with relatively high speed on a large vessel for quite a long time.’
In August, plans were unveiled for the world’s largest 100% electric Ro-Pax ferry. Speaking to ship.energy, Halvard Hauso, Commercial Director Europe at Corvus Energy, which is delivering the battery for the vessel, says the project can change the perception of what is possible for battery power in shipping.
Batteries reduce fuel consumption, maintenance costs and environmental impact on cruise and passenger ferries. This has proven especially compelling as environmental regulations are becoming extensive. Experiences have shown that there is large un-used potential for batteries onboard these ferries.
Corvus Energy has extensive experience with installing and servicing ESS in ferries globally. We have supplied systems ranging from 60 kWh on a small all-electric passenger ferry crossing the Aurajoki river in Finland to 5,500 kWh for large hybrid Ro-Pax of 250 m length. or send us a message below.
With more than 40 MWh of energy storage, the battery system – the Dolphin NexGen – will be the largest installed onboard a ship, some four times as big as the current largest installation.
On schedule to hit the water in Northern Ireland in summer 2024 is a very new type of ferry. According to developer Artemis Technologies, the EF-24 Passenger is a foiling vessel that represents a cost-effective public transportation solution to the challenges of air pollution, congestion and noise.