The world’s largest battery-electric ship is now testing the limits of what megawatt-scale charging and battery storage can do. Unveiled in May by Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania, Hull 096 started receiving electrical charge for the first time last month. The ship’s battery system is 85 percent installed, with two of its four battery rooms charged as of publication.
Once Hull 096 has passed its sea trials, it will be used as a ferry in South America. The ship’s 40 megawatt-hour energy storage system, which Incat says is four times as large as that of any existing ship, has 12 battery arrays with 418 modules apiece, for a total of 5,016 lithium-ion batteries distributed between four rooms. Corvus Energy, based in Norway, built the battery banks, designing them with no mounting racks to reduce their weight (though they still weigh in at 250 tonnes).
Keeping the battery rooms cool is a critical concern. “Systems of this size require appropriate thermal management, which includes temperature monitoring and cooling systems,” says Victor Becerra, a professor of power systems engineering at the University of Portsmouth. “The primary safety focus is thermal-runaway prevention and containment.”
The battery system is air cooled with individual fans for each module, with a layered approach to safety, says Lars Ole Valoen, Corvus’ CTO. Single cell isolation is a key safety element: “In case any cell goes into thermal runaway, it does not spread to the neighboring cells.”
Finnish maritime technology company Wärtsilä supplied the ship’s propulsion system integration; the batteries will power eight axial-flow water jets driven by permanent magnet electric motors. These will be able to keep the ship going for 90 minutes before needing to be recharged.
Hull 096 is currently being charged by the Tasmanian grid as Incat continues to work on Hull 096 in Incat’s home city of Hobart, on Tasmania’s southeast coast. Because Tasmania’s grid has been running on 100 percent renewable energy since 2020—with the bulk of its generation coming from hydropower—the ship’s energy storage system is currently emissions-free.
The ship’s permanent home will be the Rio de la Plata estuary, where it will travel between the ports of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. The two cities are 60 kilometers apart, a distance Hull 096 is expected to travel in 90 minutes. Direct current charging stations will be installed at each port, and will draw energy from the two countries’ grids. A full charge is expected to take just 40 minutes. Hull 096, which is 130 meters long and made of lightweight aluminum, will be able to carry up to 2,100 people and 225 cars per trip.
Uruguay’s grid is more than 92 percent renewable, with more than a third of its electricity generation coming from wind. Argentina’s grid is still dominated by natural gas, but is also high in hydropower, wind, and nuclear, which collectively account for about 42 percent of its generation.
Hull 096 has four battery rooms, holding a total of 5,016 lithium-ion batteries.Incat
The ferry format, with its high-frequency turnaround, relatively short segment distances, and shore-based rapid charging, is one of the most promising early use cases for electrification in the maritime sector. Maritime electrification has gained momentum over the past few years thanks to improving battery energy density, power electronics becoming more efficient, and ports increasing their charging infrastructure.
Industry acceptance of aluminum hulls and lightweight composite structures has helped too, reducing energy demand and making electrification feasible for larger vessels. According to Incat, a completed aluminum ship weighs half that of a steel ship of the same design.
Challenges in Maritime Electrification
Norway is the world leader in electric ferries, with a fleet of about 80 ships supported by a high-speed charging network primarily powered by hydropower. China leads shipping electrification, using containerized batteries that are swapped out and charged at ports on the Yangtze River. Amsterdam is working to electrify its entire canal fleet by 2025, and in the United States, ports like San Diego and Seattle are implementing pilot programs for electric ferry charging stations.
But it will be a while before diesel is a thing of the past in shipping. Batteries still can’t come close to matching diesel’s energy density, and battery-powered long-haul shipping remains extremely difficult. “The required battery weight and volume would displace too much cargo,” says Becerra.
Plus, electrification isn’t just about batteries; it’s a “system of systems” challenge. To further scale maritime electrification, Becerra says, “You would need cells with higher specific energy, widely available multi-megawatt charging in major ports, more efficient hulls and propulsion, and some operational changes, such as lower speeds or en-route recharging.”
However, clearing the hurdle of high up-front costs for batteries and chargers will make for lower long-term operating costs. Lifecycle case studies have shown fuel savings of over 60 percent, and because electric drivetrains have fewer moving parts than diesel drivetrains, maintenance costs are lower too. “Battery-electric ferries often achieve positive life-cycle economics, particularly on short, frequent routes with high fuel savings potential,” says Mehdi Zadeh, a professor of marine electrification and hybrid energy systems at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The main caveat is that batteries degrade over time and may need to be replaced during the vessel’s lifetime. “Vessels are designed for 20 years but often work up to 40-plus years, particularly passenger ships,” Zadeh says. “But batteries may need to be replaced after 5 to 10 years, depending on charging cycles.”
Hull 096 will test the limits of maritime electrification, providing data on battery performance, maintenance needs, and real-world efficiency, all of which could guide future vessel designs and port infrastructure. Sea trials of the ship are planned for later this year.
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