Denmark: world’s most powerful electric ferry named

The “Ellen” is about to enter passenger service. The world’s most powerful all-electric ferry will soon shuttle between the Danish islands of Ærø and Fynshav – the longest stretch undertaken by any electric ferry.

There are only a few records that were not broken by the “Ellen”. With a capacity of 4.3 MWh, it has the largest battery pack currently installed on a ship. With a distance of just over 40 kilometres or 22 nautical miles between the Danish islands of Ærø and Fynshav, it travels seven times further than any other electric ferry currently in service. And there is no backup motor: it is also the first electric ferry that no longer has a diesel emergency generator on board.

The ferry is almost 60 meters long, about 13 meters wide and can travel at speeds between 13 and 15.5 knots. In the summer months, it can carry 198 passengers, in winter 147. 31 cars or five trucks can also be transported on the open deck. The ship is expected to be ready for service at the beginning of July 2019.

“The E-ferry project is a very good and concrete example of what a climate-friendly future can look like – a ferry that runs on green electricity without discharging any environmentally harmful substances,” says Ole Wej Petersen, Mayor of Ærø. “I hope people will come to Ærø to experience Ellen and see how the standard for ferry transport can be in the future, not only in Denmark but all over the world”.

The “Ellen” is powered by a set of electric motors from the Danish company Danfoss Editron. The system consists of two 750 kW engines and two 250 kW manoeuvring engines. Danfoss also supplied the ship’s energy management system and the onshore charging station. According to the company, the ferry will save an estimated 2,000 tons of CO2 per year in its operation.

passengership.info, maritime-executive.com, e-ferryproject.eu (Project)