World's Largest Battery-Electric Ship Enters Service on River Plate
The China Zorrilla, described as the largest battery-electric ship in the world, has begun commercial service. On 22 October it made its first crossing with passengers between Buenos Aires in Argentina and Colonia in Uruguay.
The 130-metre high-speed catamaran was built by the Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania for the ferry operator Buquebus. It can carry up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the River Plate and runs entirely on battery power, with no conventional marine engines.
The batteries
The ship's energy storage system exceeds 40 megawatt-hours and is made up of more than 250 tonnes of batteries. It drives eight electrically powered waterjets. Dedicated high-power charging equipment at the terminals on both sides of the river lets the batteries top up between crossings.
Commercial service followed an official ceremony in Buenos Aires on 21 October. Incat managing director Craig Clifford attended, along with Buquebus representatives and maritime authorities and government officials from both countries.
Redesigned mid-build
The vessel was first designed with dual-fuel engines able to burn diesel and liquefied natural gas. It was later redesigned for fully electric propulsion, which called for substantial engineering changes.
Incat chairman Robert Clifford called the delivery one of the proudest moments in the company's history. He credited hundreds of workers at the Hobart shipyard with overcoming significant engineering challenges. "This ship proves that large, high-capacity commercial vessels can operate on electric power," he said.
Craig Clifford travelled on the maiden commercial voyage. Without diesel engines, he said, the usual noise and vibration of a ship this size are largely missing, and there are no direct exhaust emissions during crossings. The ferry also has about 2,300 square metres of duty-free retail space.
Incat is now building three 129-metre battery-electric ferries for the Danish operator Molslinjen, along with two 78-metre hybrid-electric vessels, at its Hobart yard.
Source: gCaptain