By
Alex Smith |
Västtrafik, the organisation responsible for public transport in the Västra Götaland region, Sweden, has taken delivery of a fourth electric hybrid ferry powered by an EST-Floattech battery system.
Built by shipbuilder Uudenkaupungin Työvene in Finland, Eloise is a 33-metre, double-ended commuter ferry designed to accommodate up to 298 passengers and 80 bicycles and operate at speeds of up to 11 knots. The battery system from EST-Floattech is based on the company’s Green Orca 1050 High Energy Battery System, which uses lithium polymer nickel manganese cobalt cells.
The battery capacity of Eloise is 25 per cent higher than that of its sister ship Elvy, which was delivered in 2019. An installed capacity of 1260 kilowatts makes Eloise capable of six hours of continuous electric operation, which recharges either using shore power of the onboard diesel generator.
The ship’s construction forms part of Västtrafik’s plan to fully electrify Gothenburg’s public transportation system by 2030.
”We are happy to have partnered with EST-Floattech as a supplier of one of the key components for Eloise,” said Antti Vikainen, project manager at Uudenkaupungin Työvene. “The support we received in addition to the delivery and commissioning of the battery system proved valuable, particularly when determining the safety requirements for the battery installation. The vessel itself is already a proven design that has evolved from a diesel-electric powered ferry into a battery hybrid that is able to operate almost exclusively on stored electric power for its designed application.”