All-electric ferries will connect to shore power autonomously
Written by Nick Blenkey
All-electric ferries will have a service speed of 16 knots and a maximum speed of 17 knots
Bømlo, Norway, based Zinus AS is to supply autonomous charging connections for the 10 all-electric ferries currently under construction at Spain’s Astillero Gondán.
As we reported earlier, the ferries are being built for Portuguese public ferry company Transtejo, S.A. They will operate across Lisbon’s Tagus river and will replace the existing fleet serving this route when they enter service between 2022 and 2024.
ABB, which is the total integrator of the electric power supply and the vessel and propulsion automation for the ferries, recently awarded Zinus a contract for the delivery of 20 SWC100 charging connections for the vessels.
“We are both proud and happy that ABB has chosen Zinus as supplier of the charging connections for this large-scale electrification of an important part of Lisbon’s infrastructure” says Ronny Olson, sales manager at Zinus. “With two fully automatic SWC100 charging connections on each vessel, the ferries are ensured fast and smooth connection to the charging stations on land and efficient charging of the batteries on board.”
The SWC100 units on board the ferries, automatically receive the charging plug from the shoreside charging tower and connects charging power to the batteries while the vessel is docked. When the ferry departs, the charging plug is released and hoisted back into the charging tower—ready for the next charge. The automatic connection and disconnection only takes 20 seconds, ensuring the longest possible charging time.
Zinus will deliver its charging connections to the yard from the fourth quarter of 2021 onwards into 2023. It will compete for the contract to supply the shoreside charging towers.
“This is our largest single order to date for this product, and we can also note another country on our global reference list,” says Endre Eidsvik, CEO of Zinus. “The fact that such a large and recognized supplier like ABB chooses our solution is also an important recognition of Zinus’ technology, which we hope and believe will give us even more opportunities both nationally and internationally in the years to come.”
