Danfoss Editron picked to power Portuguese e-ferry
Written by Nick Blenkey
Set for delivery next year, 37-meter vessel could be first all-electric ferry to enter service in Portugal.
The municipality of Aveiro, Portugal, is to put its first fully-electric ferry into service next year. It could be Portugal’s first e-ferry and will replace a diesel powered boat on the one-mile crossing between Forte da Barra, in Ilhavo, and São Jacinto, in Aveiro. At 37 meters long, the twin-deck vessel will be able to carry up to 260 passengers and 19 vehicles—up 90% and 30% respectively on the existing boat. Despite its increased capacity and change in power source, the new ferry will be able to maintain the 15-minute crossing time and five-knot speed schedule on the route, with the possibility of reaching nine knots.
The vessel will be built by the Navaltagus shipyard and has a fully-electric Danfoss Editron drivetrain solution. To select the solution, the shipyard turned to its engineering and installation partner Nave de Luz Lda and to electrification integrator Technology Venture Middle East Marine Services and Marine Electrical Ptv Lda. They opted for a Danfoss Danfoss Editron drivetrain and a battery system supplied by Sterling Plan B (which has recently rebranded as Shift).
The Danfoss Editron marine drivetrain consists of a fully integrated DC link system for power plant and propulsion, including power electronics, hotel transformers, DC link cabinets and power management software. According to Danfoss, the system is half the size of traditional AC-based analogs, making it the most compact and lightweight on the market.
BIG CO2 SAVINGS
Navaltagus estimates that the new ferry will help save around 300 tons of CO2 emissions annually, plus make the crossing more comfortable and quieter for passengers.
“Portugal has recently started to integrate electric solutions in its maritime transport, and we’re delighted to be working on one of the country’s first projects,” said Philipp Fedorov, marine sales director, Editron Division, Danfoss, commented, “The electrification of the marine industry is of utmost importance to enable countries to reach their carbon neutrality targets. We’re looking forward to working on similar projects across Southern Europe.”
“Danfoss’ Editron division’s plug-and-play solution and approach were one of our main reasons for choosing them as our partner,” said Arun Sudarsan, manager operations and Technical, Technology Venture Middle East Marine Services. “Being able to easily integrate electric systems within newly built or retrofitted vessels is a huge selling point when it comes to increasing the electrification of the marine industry.”
