By
Laura Hyde |
Incat Tasmania has successfully completed the first power and e-motor trial on Hull 096, the world’s largest battery-electric ship, in Hobart, Tasmania.
Hull 096, which is named China Zorrilla, is a 130-metre vessel with capacity for 2,100 passengers and more than 220 vehicles built for South American ferry operator Buquebus.
The sea trial activated the largest battery-electric propulsion system ever installed, with more than 250 tonnes of batteries and an energy storage system capable of delivering over 40 megawatt-hours of installed capacity – quadruple the battery installation on any previous vessel.
Invited dignitaries including Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, and Her Excellency Barbara Baker, Governor of Tasmania, watched Robert Clifford, chairman of Incat Tasmania, power up the waterjets to provide a demonstration of the vessel’s propulsion capability.
Robert Clifford, chairman of Incat Tasmania, powers up the waterjets onboard China Zorrilla
“This is the first time a ship of this size, anywhere in the world, has been trialled under 100 per cent battery-electric propulsion,” said Clifford. “It’s a remarkable achievement by our workforce and a turning point for shipbuilding. Tasmania has been at the forefront of international aluminium shipbuilding for decades, and today’s milestone shows we are now leading the world in the next era – sustainable, high-performance vessels at scale. We are proving that advanced manufacturing in Australia is not only alive but setting global benchmarks. This ship will stand as a flagship for what’s possible when industry, design and clean-energy technology come together.”
Hull 096 will undergo a series of sea trials before departing for South America to begin operations for Buquebus in the coming months.
Read more: Interior view: China Zorrilla