World’s largest battery-powered electric vessel “Hull 096” delivered to Uruguay after traveling thousands of miles from Tasmania
Sea-news.az reports citing Seanews.az, that the 130-meter-long ferry “Hull 096″—the world’s largest battery-powered electric vessel—was brought to the port of Nueva Palmira on September 11 via the heavy-lift vessel MV Black Marlin after traveling thousands of miles from Tasmania. Afterward, the launched vessel will be towed to Colonia del Sacramento for pre-commissioning preparation work.
Built by Australia’s “Incat” company for “Buquebus”, the ferry will transport passengers and vehicles between Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay and Buenos Aires in Argentina. Operating along a route of approximately 30 nautical miles, the trip is planned to take one hour, with three trips scheduled per day.
Named “China Zorrilla”, the vessel can carry 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. Its energy system consists of over 5,000 battery modules with a total capacity of 40 MWh. The batteries allow the vessel to operate for approximately 90 minutes.
The aluminum-crafted ferry is propelled by eight electric water jets. The vessel was ordered in 2019, after which its construction was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was adapted from a diesel-engine design to a fully electric system.
