World’s Largest Battery-Electric Ship Launched by Incat

 

Incat is heralding a milestone in the shipping industry as it floated out the world’s largest battery-electric ship which it says is also the largest electric vehicle of its kind ever built. The ferry China Zorrilla (approximately 14,000 gross tons) being built for Argentina-based Buquebus was floated from the building dock today at the Incat shipyard in Hobart, Tasmania in Australia.

Officially known as Hull 096 currently, the vessel is 130 meters (426 feet) in length and when completed will carry up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. It was originally ordered in 2019 and then billed simply as the largest aluminum ship and designed for service on the River Plate running between Argentina and Uruguay.

Discussions began between Incat and the shipowner and in 2023 they reported they were investigating the possibility of replacing the planned LNG powerplant with a battery-electric solution. The original concept called for four dual-fuel engines using LNG and providing a maximum speed of over 40 knots.

Incat reports the ship is now being equipped with over 250 tonnes of batteries and an Energy Storage System (ESS) boasting more than 40 megawatt-hours of installed capacity making it possible to run only on battery power. The ESS, which is four times larger than any previous maritime installation in the world, is connected to eight electric-driven waterjets and supplied by technology partner Wärtsilä. Corvus Energy was to develop the ESS system.

The shipyard boats that this combination of technology sets a new global benchmark for the shipping industry. It is being called a defining moment for maritime sustainability.

 

The ferry was floated out becomes the largest electric vehicle of its kind (Incat)

 

“This is a historic day – not just for Incat, but for the future of maritime transport,” said Incat Chairman Robert Clifford. “We’ve been building world-leading vessels here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex, and most important project we’ve ever delivered. This ship changes the game.”

Work will now continue completing the vessel’s interior, which includes a 2,300 square meter duty-free retail deck – the largest shopping space on any ferry in the world. Final fit-out, battery installation, and energy system integration will take place ahead of sea trials later this year on the River Derwent. 

Incat previously reported the vessel was scheduled for delivery before the end of this year. The ship is the ninth Incat-built vessel for Buquebus.