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Portugal unveils its new fully electric ferry

Portugal unveils its new fully electric ferry

Feb. 4 2022 - 4 min

With new environmental regulations coming into force, the shipping industry is moving to quickly decarbonize its assets. Ferry owners and operators, whose vessels travel short, fixed distances through populated areas, have taken steps toward zero emissions by ordering partly or fully electric ships. While these vessels have primarily debuted in northern areas, such as Norway, southern Europe is beginning to close the gap.

Portugal’s new fully electric ferry

In the latter half of 2021, the Municipality of Aveiro, ordered a new fully electric ferry from builders Navaltagus and Navalrocha. Standing at 37 meters long and propelled by dual Azimuthal thrusters, the vessel will be able to carry up to 260 passengers and 19 cars. The ship will transport passengers 1.5 kilometers from Forte de Barra to São Jacinto and back.

Equipped with two 246 kWh battery packs supplied by SPBES, this electric ferry will replace an older passenger ship that emitted over 300 tonnes of CO2 annually. By using battery power, the new ferry will eliminate harmful emissions, improve onboard comfort, limit onboard noise, and reduce overall energy consumption by 30%.

Responding to EU decarbonization goals

By undertaking this project, the local officials in Aveiro can help Portugal meet the objectives set out by the European Union’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC). This 10-year initiative aims to promote sustainable mobility and the decarbonization of the transportation sector, including the marine industry. By focusing on green mobility and public transportation now, the PNEC hopes to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with other EU climate targets.

Undergoing classification with Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas was selected for the classification of Aveiro’s new electric ferry, with plan approval performed by experts in our Nantes office. The ship will be classed as a battery-system operated passenger vessel (I 5 (Z)•MACH Passenger vessel / Ferry / Battery system / IN (0.6)).

We are proud to bring our expertise in green ship design to the Municipality of Aveiro, improving the ferry’s emissions and performance. As a classification society, Bureau Veritas looks forward to protecting inland waterways and local populations, and accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime industry.