Hybrid car ferry cuts emissions
A hybrid car ferry built for one of Sweden’s busiest maritime routes is ready to begin operating.
Commissioned by the Swedish Transport Administration, the 100m Tellus ferry has been completed by Baltic Workboats and will mainly operate on fully-electric mode, bringing the government agency closer to achieving its target of becoming fossil-free by 2045.
The ferry, which is Sweden’s largest hybrid-electric car ferry, will be capable of transporting up to 297 passengers and 80 cars per journey on the 1.8km Gullmarsleden route linking Uddevalla to Lysekil. The route typically sees the transportation of over 100,000 vehicles per month.
Marek Müürisepp, electrical engineer at Baltic Workboats, said: “The Tellus ferry is a technical feat and we are looking forward to seeing more of ferries of its kind enter operation on Swedish waters.”
Lightweight powerplant
For their third collaboration with building shipyard Baltic Workboats, Danfoss Editron delivered the electric powerplant and propulsion system. The lightweight electric powerplant is connected to the 12 battery-racks provided by Corvus batteries, which have a total capacity of 949 kWh.
The batteries are currently charged at night via an onshore charging station and can also be charged by diesel engines while the ferry is in operation. This temporary solution will be replaced by automatic charging stations at the harbour once the infrastructure is ready.
When in hybrid-electric mode, the ferry will operate on a single genset, with the rest of the propulsion supported by battery power.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
