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New electric ferry, Elvy
Electrification of public transport is an important investment to achieve the target for reducing emissions. SSPA has supported Västtrafik, the public transport company in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the project to build a new ferry with battery-hybrid propulsion. The traffic across the river Göta älv in central Gothenburg has been a success and the passengers can continue to increase with the new ferry, Elvy. In late October, after naming ceremony and crew training, she will enter traffic. We are looking forward to travel across the river, more silent and with less emissions.
Elvy will be Västtrafik´s third ferry on the route between Stenpiren and Lindholmen, across the river in central Gothenburg. Elvy appears almost identical to her sister vessels Älveli and Älvfrida on the outside. The main difference between Elvy and her sister vessels is Elvy’s battery-hybrid propulsion. Elvy is fitted with 1008 kWh of battery energy, a total of 96 battery modules, which will enable full electric propulsion of Elvy up to 6 hours every day.
The battery installation has made it possible to only install one diesel generator and fit a smaller fuel tank. The diesel generator cannot be omitted entirely. Despite the large battery installation, the energy required for a full day operation needs the addition of electric power from a genset. Fitting the batteries onboard and dealing with the adaptions of the ship systems has been challenging but worthwhile.
The batteries will be charged fully during night and discharged during operation. This is expected to cut fuel consumption by 45 % and NOx emissions with more than 90 % compared to her sister vessels.
- “SSPA has supported the vessel owner Västtrafik during the whole project, through negotiations with the shipyard Työvene, design, building and finally delivery of the vessel”, says Staffan Sjöling, Project Manager at SSPA.
Photos
Elvy outside of Öckerö where she was received by a crew from Styrsöbolaget and SSPA, after being towed from Uudenkaupungin Työvene. Photo: SSPA.
One of the two battery packs providing power to the propellers. Photo: SSPA.
Battery hybrid applied to marine propulsion
The maritime industry is currently experiencing a significant increase of interest in battery hybrid installations for new buildings and retrofits. A number of recent projects show that SSPA has the tools and knowledge to answer these questions and to evaluate different alternatives for propulsion, from batteries and fuel tanks to propellers.
The SSPA shuttle ferry concept
In order to cope with rapid population growth in urban areas, overloaded roads/rails and the desire to turn former harbor and wharf areas into attractive residential districts, seaways could be used even more in the future as part of the public transport system. In Stockholm, for example, more public transport by sea is already high on the political agenda.