By
Laura Hyde |
Candela P-12, the world’s first electric hydrofoiling ferry, has completed a record-breaking 160-nautical-mile voyage from Gothenburg in Sweden to Oslo, Norway.
The journey, the longest ever by an electric passenger ship, was carried out to demonstrate how hydrofoil technology is overcoming the high energy consumption and limited range issues associated with electric vessels. The voyage was completed over three days, with charging along the route taking place at Aqua SuperPower stations and using towable battery system provided by Skagerak Energi when fixed chargers were unavailable. The total electricity cost for the voyage amounted to just over €200 ($235).
Candela P-12, which was designed Swedish firm Candela Technology, has a service speed of 25 knots and has exceeded speeds of 30 knots during trials, with a range of up to 40 nautical miles at cruising speed on a single charge. Computer-controlled submerged wings beneath the ship’s hull lift it above the water to reduce energy consumption by around 80 per cent compared to conventional vessels.
Candela P-12 travelled 160-nautical-miles over three days to demonstrate how hydrofoil technology is overcoming the issues associated with electric vessels
“Charging infrastructure is the hidden cost of electrifying conventional vessels,” said Gabriele De Mattia, project engineer at Candela and lead engineer for this voyage. “In many cases, building megawatt-scale chargers, especially where the grid is weak or undeveloped, can cost as much as the vessels themselves. The breakthrough with P-12 is that it is fast to charge and extremely flexible in where it can operate.”