The world’s largest hybrid ship – then it will be put into operation
A hybrid ferry with a battery pack of 11.5 MWh. This is what Brittany Ferries will launch in 2024 and thanks to this, greenhouse gas emissions on the ship’s route will be reduced.
Electrification is slowly beginning to enter the marine world. Yara has the world’s first electric container ship underway and in several places they have started with various forms of electric ferries, including on the Gullmarsfjord.
But these ships operate short routes. When there are longer journeys, clean battery vessels are not viable. Then it is hybrid variants that apply.
One of these, which will operate the route between Saint-Malo in France and Portsmouth in England, is underway and when it is put into operation in 2024, it will be the world’s largest hybrid vessel. The vessel “Saint-Malo” is built on behalf of Brittany Ferries, is 195 meters long and has batteries of 11.5 MWh on board. The latter is really large and by comparison, the world’s largest electric ship has “only” 7.5 MWh battery.
The ship’s route one way is 172 nautical miles and thanks to the batteries, around 15 percent of the greenhouse gases will be cut. The ferry is built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard and leased by Stena Roro
– Stena wants to be at the forefront when it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from our fleet and, together with our partners, push the trend towards zero emissions. The hybridization means that our vessels can be very flexible while we adapt to future technical developments such as green fuels, fuel cells, larger batteries and solar and wind-supported propulsion, says Per Westling, CEO of Stena Roro, in a statement.
The new hybrid ship will replace the faithful servant Brittany and shortly after, the sister ship Normandy will also be replaced. The battery technology used in the two ferries comes from Wärtisilä.
– The solid battery size will allow the ship to run at full power, use both propellers and all bow thrusters to be able to maneuver emission-free in and out of ports, even in bad weather. The built-in charging solution can charge the battery when it is at the quay, says Håkan Agnevall, CEO of Wärtisilä, in a press release.
Stena Line is also taking the step and investing in battery-powered. It is hoped to be able to order two vessels of the model Stena Elektra 2025. According to Stena Line, it will be “the world’s first fossil-free ropax in its size”. With its 200 meters in length, it has room for 1,000 people and a freight capacity of 3,000 meters in length.
