World's Biggest Battery-Electric Ferry Enters Commercial Service
The Ecuadorian ferry operator Buquebus has begun commercial operations with the world's largest battery-powered ferry, the China Zorrilla, named after a regionally famous actress.
China Zorrilla is an aluminum fast-ferry constructed at Incat, a pioneer in the aluminum-multihull ferry space. After construction at Incat's yard in Tasmania, the vessel was loaded out on a heavy lift ship and transported to the Rio de la Plata.
Capable of carrying up to 225 vehicles and 2,100 passengers, China Zorrilla is larger and has a bigger battery bank than any other battery-electric vessel. The 130-meter ropax has a deadweight capacity of about 960 tonnes, and has enough spare internal volume to accommodate a massive duty-free retail space.
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According to Wärtsilä, the supplier of her power and propulsion systems, the design challenge was to build a zero-emissions ferry that could make 25 knots on a 60-kilometer route, and would be capable of shallow-water operations. The solution included 41 MWh worth of battery capacity, eight electric propulsion motors and eight axial flow waterjets. A pierside DC charging system restores the batteries to readiness with about 40 minutes, and is part of the scheduled operation for each one-way trip.
The vessel is named for "China" Zorrilla (originally Concepción Matilde Zorrilla), a locally-famous actress who made her name in the Uruguayan and Argentinian theater scenes. She appeared in countless plays, movies and television shows from the 1950s up through at least 2007. She passed away in 2014.
