While lots of press is focused on electric cars, the current is also strong in other parts of the transport field, including at sea. Denmark’s inter-island ferry services have now joined that trend with the country’s first all-electric ferry.
Built at a shipyard on the island of Als, and running between Als and the nearby islands of Ærø, the ship is the first of its type to have no diesel engine as either primary or backup. It produces half the carbon dioxide and a thirtieth of the particles generated by conventional ferries.
The boat took two years to build, longer than expected, but the builders say they learned a lot in the process. The shipyard’s director told local press that “We believe electric ferries are the future and we now have a huge amount of knowledge. So we feel well equipped for the coming years and the development of battery power on ferries.”
