Incat, a manufacturer based in Tasmania, has launched the world’s largest electric ferry called Hull 096. This 130-meter ship carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles will be the first environmentally friendly transport to run between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Uruguay.
The ferry, named after China Zorrilla, a famous Uruguayan actress, is equipped with over 275 tons of lithium-ion batteries having more than 40 MWh of installed capacity, which are four times more powerful than any existing marine battery system. Eight electric motors with a water jet propulsion enable the ferry to cross the Gulf of Rio de la Plata in just one hour and half. A special charging infrastructure is under creation on both shores to ensure the ferry’s operation.
Currently, works on the vessel’s interior are almost completed, and it will undergo planned sea trials on the Derwent River by the end of the year.
Incat Chairman Robert Clifford described the project as the most significant achievement in the company’s history. Jeremy Rockliffe, Tasmanian Prime Minister, emphasized that the project not only sets new global standards for green transportation, but also confirms the region’s leadership in clean energy technologies.
The project’s developers describe the China Zorrilla as a unique floating laboratory whose operational data will be invaluable to electric shipping development in South America and Africa. For Tasmania, the project is a symbol of a technological breakthrough demonstrating that even small regions are able to make a significant contribution to the global energy transition.
