Single Charge E-Ferry Voyage

The Danish 1000 tonne electric ferry boat has completed its 92km voyage on a single battery charge

The islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark are connected by Ellen, the longest ranging fully electric ferry in the world. Ellen set a new world record on June 9th this year in Sønderborg, Denmark, where leaders from industry and the government joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) for the 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency.

On her return from the conference, where participants explored how international ambitions on energy efficiency can be translated into faster and stronger real-world progress, Ellen sailed 50 nautical miles (92 kilometers) on a single battery charge.

Senior Lecturer, Marstal Naval Academy, Denmark, Henrik Hagbarth Mikkelsen, who helped specify the technical solutions for the ferry during its design-phase, was on-board for the trip.

“The 92 kilometre trip on a single battery charge is the longest planned distance for an electric ferry able to carry both passengers and vehicles to date anywhere on the globe. We are talking about a clear record. On its normal, daily trips, the ferry sails 22 nautical miles, or 40 kilometers, from harbour to harbour before recharging,” he says.

Ellen does not emit carbon and operates at 24 percent lower cost than a new diesel ferry. She started sailing in 2019 and regularly carries up to 30 vehicles and 200 foot passengers on its route.

Danfoss supplied the electric Editron drivetrains and propulsion motors for the ferry and Kimmo Rauma, Vice President at Danfoss Editron says that Ellen is an excellent example of the future for electric transport.

“It’s cleaner, greener and more efficient than her fossil fuel competitors. Electrifying maritime transport is a clear-cut way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he says.

Currently, 27% of all global energy-related CO2 emissions come from transport. With 4.27 billion passengers and 373 million vehicles transported by ferry each year, ferries are significant carbon emitters and often sail close to cities where they add to the already critical air pollution levels. Electric ferries such as Ellen can help solve the problem.

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Jonathan Newell

Jonathan Newell is a graduate of Loughborough University and has three decades of experience in engineering as well as broadcast and technical journalism.

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