Firm to supply battery and hydrogen-based fuel cell system for first zero-emission, high-speed catamaran
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Sweden-based energy solutions supplier Echandia is to provide an integrated battery and hydrogen-based fuel cell system for the world's first emission-free, high-speed catamaran passenger ferry.
The vessel, which will be operated by Green City Ferries in Stockholm, Sweden, has been designed by Teknicraft in New Zealand and Studio Sculli in Italy. Echandia will install the integrated battery and fuel cell system in autumn 2022.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with Echandia in this groundbreaking project, which we see great interest in globally,” said Fredrik Thornell, CEO of Green City Ferries. “We will build a completely emission-free, high-speed catamaran intended to operate in Stockholm's waters. Echandia is the perfect partner for that. Compared to other tenders, Echandia's solution means significantly lower total weight with high safety.”
Echandia’s solution will enable Green City Ferries to move closer to its goal of switching to fast, emission-free waterborne transport in the city of Stockholm, where the public ferry fleet accounts for around five per cent of energy consumption but about 50 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to Båtplan Stockholm 2025.
“Sweden has been lagging behind internationally when it comes to electrifying shipping, but now the pace is increasing here as well,” said Magnus Eriksson, CEO of Echandia. “We are proud to be a part of this project that not only contributes to reducing emissions from Stockholm's waterborne local transport but is also the first in the world with an emission-free, high-speed catamaran. The ferry will be equipped with an integrated system with both batteries and hydrogen, which is significantly more energy efficient compared to solutions with separate systems.”