An electric ferry with a capacity of 41 megawatt-hours (MWh) has entered Argentina's maritime fleet. This ferry, built by operator Buquebus, operates between Argentina and Uruguay and can travel for up to 1.5 hours on its battery.
Energy Supply for Electric Ferries
Corvus Energy, which supplied the battery system, has announced that this installation is the largest marine battery system currently in operation ever installed on a vessel. This system has a capacity nearly four times greater than any previously installed battery on a commercial ship, and this ferry is considered the first fully electric vessel of its kind in South America.
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The construction of this ferry was undertaken by Incat Tasmania, and the Finnish technology company Wärtsilä selected Corvus in 2023 to supply the battery system for this ferry.
Design of an Electric Container Ship
The design of a fully electric 1,700 TEU container ship developed by Hanwha Power from South Korea has been approved by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). This design relies on a 151 MWh battery energy storage system, which is more than three times the capacity of the new ferry. The batteries are stored in container units and can be easily swapped out.
The company's goal is to use this design as a way to reduce carbon emissions in short-term and regional container transport. However, for carbon-free operation, this ship relies on charging at the port.
Hanwha Power has also completed the initial design of a 1,000 TEU container ship with a battery. Alongside this, Nike has signed a contract with CMA CGM for a fully electric barge in Vietnam, designed to connect Nike's internal unloading site in Ho Chi Minh City to the deep-water terminal Gemalink.
However, charging large ships while docked requires high power levels that can exceed local distribution capacity. The Baleària project, costing over 200 million euros ($223 million), includes electrifying the ports of Tarifa and Tangier City.
Finally, the Valencia port project aims to increase the electricity network capacity for freight terminals and supply power to ships. This project includes a new power station that will double the port's electricity supply capacity, with an estimated investment of 18.7 million euros ($21 million).
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