EMEA News
Danish Passenger Hybrid Ferry Commissioned
Danish ferry operator Scandlines has commissioned a retrofitted passenger ferry which is now capable of running on "the world's largest ever hybrid propulsion marine battery pack", Corvus Energy, the maker of the system used by the vessel has said in an emailed press release.
The retrofitted hybrid ferry, the Princess Benedikte, which will operate on the Rødbyhavn - Puttgarden route, is now able to operate on full electric propulsion while in harbour, allowing it to use less fuel and produce less greenhouse gas emissions.
"This commissioning is a significant milestone for Corvus because it represents the world's largest ever hybrid propulsion marine battery pack and an important early success in the marine version of sustainable capitalism," said Corvus Energy CEO Brent Perry.
"We are honored to participate and look forward to using this conversion as a template to develop future customer-based solutions for more ferry fleets around the world."
Corvus promises its lithium polymer battery modules will last for more than 10 years and have a system payback time of less than five years.
The British Columbia, Canada based company also said the noise-free battery can charge in 30 minutes by renewable, shore, or generator power.
According to the press release, Prinsesse Benedikte can carry approximately 300 vehicles and 900 passengers.
FutureShip GmbH, a subsidiary of Germanischer Lloyd SE (GL), said last year that it had developed a zero-emissions ferry propulsion system concept for Scandlines using hydrogen fuel cells.
The U.S. state of Washington also recently said it plans to convert a 144-car ferry to a diesel hybrid system, while a pilot project by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Norwegian ship owner Grieg Star showed that some battery hybrid ships can provide payback in less than a year and fuel savings of 30 percent.
