World’s largest hybrid ferry to run on Leclanché battery system

A zero-emission ferry ordered by Danish ferry operator Scandlines will run on a 10 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) from Swiss energy storage solutions company Leclanché.

The project, announced in November 2021, will result in “the world’s largest electric-powered hybrid ferry”, Scandlines claims.

Leclanché joins several companies selected to provide critical components, systems, and expertise to the Puttgarten Rødby 2024 or PR24 vessel including Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime and Norwegian Electric Systems (NES). The ferry was designed by LMG Marin AS, Norway, and will be constructed at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey.

The roll-on, roll-off passenger (RoPax) ferry is expected to enter service in 2024. It will connect Puttgarden ferry harbour, on the German island of Fehmarn, with Rødby ferry harbour on the island of Lolland in Denmark – a distance of 18.5 km.

The Scandlines zero direct emission freight ferry will be 147.4 meters long, 25.4 meters wide and 5.3 meters design draft. The double ended ferry’s freight capacity will be 66 freight units carrying a maximum of 140 passengers at a 10-knot service speed.

As a hybrid ferry, its crossing time between the two ports will be 45 minutes. In fully electric mode, crossing time is 70 minutes and the ferry is emission-free.

Battery technology

Leclanché will supply aG\NMC battery system with a capacity of 10,028 kWh with a maximum voltage of 864 volts guaranteed for 10 years.  The BESS uses a highly redundant architecture with 48 battery strings distributed across 8 switchboards. Delivery will begin in January 2023.

With its Marine Rack System (MRS), Leclanché intends to help vessel owners and operators meet or even surpass international marine regulations for SOx and NOx emissions.

The MRS BESS is modular and scalable and designed to high safety standards with its integrated cooling and active safety system. Leclanché’s liquid-cooled battery systems provide numerous advantages over air-cooled batteries including improved safety, faster charging, longer lifetime, smaller footprint and lower energy consumption, according to the company.

“We are extremely gratified with our selection by Scandlines and NES as the critical battery system provider for the … Puttgarden Rødby 2024 hybrid freight ferry project...We look forward to a long-term partnership with Scandlines to fulfill our common vision of promoting electric and hybrid vessels, operating with green power, in support of a sustainable future,” Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said.

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