World’s largest electric ship

The Incat shipyard in Hobart, Australia, has launched Incat Hull 096. This ship, built for South American ferry company Buquebus, will be the world’s largest battery-electric vessel.

The launch took place on 2 May. When put into service between Buenos Aires and Uruguay, the ship will run entirely on battery-electric power and carry up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the Río de la Plata.

“This is a historic day,” said Robert Clifford, president of Incat. “We have been building industry-leading ships here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex and most important project we have ever delivered.”

Ninth Incat ship for Buquebus

The vessel is the ninth Incat-built vessel for Buquebus, continuing the long-standing partnership between the two companies.
Juan Carlos López Mena, president of Buquebus: “When we were evaluating this new ship, Robert said, ‘The next ship I deliver will be 100% electric.’ I replied, “Then that must be the next ship we commission today.” So we started converting the China Zorrilla – originally designed to run on LNG – into a fully electric ship. It’s a real milestone achieved by two private companies, driven by our commitment to sustainability and our continued pursuit of service excellence.”

250 tonnes of batteries

The ship is equipped with more than 250 tonnes of batteries and an energy storage system (ESS) with an installed capacity of more than 40 megawatt hours. The ESS, which is four times larger than any previous marine installation in the world, is connected to eight electrically powered water jets and is supplied by technology partner Wärtsilä.

“We are proud of our collaboration with Incat and Buquebus,” says Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine. “Ferries play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly transport options, with vessel electrification being a key solution to enable the industry to move to net zero emissions.”

Trials later this year

Work now continues on finishing the ship’s interior, including a 2,300 sq m duty-free shopping deck – the largest retail space on a ferry in the world. Final completion, installation of batteries and integration of the power system will take place ahead of sea trials on the River Derwent later this year.

At 130 metres long, Hull 096 is not only the largest electric vessel in the world, but also the largest electric vehicle of its kind ever built – and one of the most significant exports in the history of the Australian manufacturing sector.

Source: Mariska Buitendijk at SWZ-Maritime.
Image: Incat.

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