Danish e-ferry Ellen, a 100% electric vessel for cars and passengers, has won the European Solar Prize 2020 Award, presented by non-profit Eurosolar (European Association for Renewable Energy).
Launched in 2019, the boat is equipped with a 4.3MWh battery storage system from French supplier Leclanché, coupled to a pair of 750kW propulsion motors and two 250kW thrusters, supplied by Danfoss Editron.
The vessel is one of nine honorees to receive the annual award, and was recognized in the Transport and Mobility category for her ability to demonstrate the potential of green electric mobility in shipping, while also showing that new and effective propulsion solutions are available and ready for implementation.
The award was presented to the island municipality of Ærø, Denmark, which commissioned the ferry to provide service between its main port, Søby, and the port of Fynshav on Als island. The project was funded by Ærø Municipality and by the European Union through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
The Leclanché battery system that powers the 747-ton vessel provides a range of up to 22 nautical miles (40km) on a single charge. Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, commented, “We are immensely proud of Ellen for winning the European Solar Prize 2020 Award in the field of renewable energy. The vessel represents a huge milestone in marine transportation and provides proof that we can replace outdated and polluting fossil fuel engines with clean energy and contribute to the fight against climate change. Based on actual operating data from Ellen, we can confirm that more than 70% of ferry routes in Europe can be converted to all-electric vessels and we are well positioned to address this significant market.”