Norway’s MF Bastø VI, the world’s largest battery ferry is now in operation.
At 08:00, the world’s largest battery-electric ferry was put into regular scheduled traffic.
Captain Svein Erik Waksaas and CEO Øyvind Lund of Bastø Fosen invited the first driver on board the cake and some careful corona-adapted celebration.
Øyvind Lund told TU:
This is a very big day for us. Finally, we are in the process of electrifying Norway’s busiest ferry service
Currently, charging is only on one side of the fjord and the ferry must therefore go hybrid for a few months.
Three electric
In 11 months, three ferries will sail the 5.67 nautical miles (10.5 km) across the Oslo fjord all-electric without emissions and largely autonomous. All the new ferries will have installed the autonomy system of Kongsberg Maritime.
The maiden trip to MF Bastø Electric takes place six years and two weeks after the maiden voyage to Norled’s battery ferry MF Ampere. It was the world’s first all-electric ferry that crossed the Sognefjord between Lavik and Oppedal on the E39 on 15 February 2015.
The MF Ampere holds 120 cars and 399 passengers and has sailed a distance equivalent to about eight times around the equator. MF Bastø Electric can bring 200 cars or 24 trucks and 600 passengers.
The battery capacity of Bastø Electric is 4.3 MWh, which is a little more than four times the size of ampere.
Battery management
Over the six years, Norway has taken a leading position in electric and hybrid ferries and will be up to around 70 ferries by 2022.
Worldwide, 331 ships and vessels are equipped with batteries for either electric or hybrid operation and an additional 180 vessels are being ordered. Just over 200 of them sail or will be used in Norway.
Bastø Fosen is in the process of converting Bastø IV to electrical operation at Westcon in Ølen. It should be ready for electric sailing in July. In September, Bastø VI will travel to Rogaland and Westcon for electrification.
Moss-Horten is Norway’s most congested ferry route. The ferries between Moss and Horten carry 3.8 million passengers and 1.8 million vehicles each year.
In Horten, the Ferrycharger charging tower from Stemman is already installed and can transfer all the way up to 9 MW high voltage. During regular charging, the power will be 7.2 MW.
Development of the power grid to the quay is also underway in Moss and should be ready just over the summer. Currently, bastø electric sails hybrid as charging only takes place in Horten.
Maturing
Bastø Electric is built at the Sefine shipyard in Turkey. Bastø Foen has built all of its new ferries in Turkey, including the latest two, Bastø IV and Bastø VI, which become electric.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration was criticised for not placing more emphasis on the environment when the ferry contract at Moss-Horten was re-tendered in 2014 with an award in December of that year.
The contract is valid from 2017-2026. Bastø Fosen was the only bidder and won with three new ferries with the GE diesel engine.
Then it was argued that the battery technology was also not mature. It is now and the batteries are in return manufactured and supplied by Siemens Energy in Trondheim, which also accounts for all the electrical on board,
Climate gains after seven months
In connection with battery production and debate on environmental impact, Siemens Energy has conducted a lifetime analysis.
–The study shows that CO2
Bjørn Einar Brath, CEO of Siemens Energy.
The accounts are in positive terms compared to a similar diesel ferry already after seven months of operation, including emissions associated with the production of both boats and batteries
Nå er verdens største batteriferge i drift, March 1, 2021
