The E-ferry is a single ended, drive-through Ro-Ro passenger ferry with one continuous main deck for trailers and cars. Capacity is 31 cars or 5 trucks on open deck, with 147 passengers in winter and 198 passengers in summer.

There is a huge opportunity for marine vessels across the world to reduce their harmful emissions and cut their operating costs by leveraging battery storage technology. This is why we developed the MRS and we are delighted that it is the world’s first such solution to receive type approval from DNV-GL. This certification opens up a very exciting and substantial global market for Leclanché.

—Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché

Safety was one of Leclanché’s key focus areas when developing the MRS. The company performed multiple fire propagation tests to ensure that the battery system performed safely, in even the most extreme situations. With the requirement to pass close to 20 separate tests, the DNV-GL certification process sets the benchmark for battery system safety in marine applications.

The E-ferry will be launched in late 2017 sailing between the island Ærø and the mainland. The emission-free, passenger and car ferry will be able to sail a record 60 nautical miles (110 km) on a single charge. The E-ferry is an EU Horizon 2020 project, the EU’s €77-billion transport and energy research and innovation programme from 2014 to 2020.

In Scandinavia, there is the potential to convert nearly 200 ferry routes to electric within the next decade; Europe-wide more than 1,000 ferries could be converted. The Leclanché MRS could also be used in other marine applications including hybridization and peak shaving of auxiliary loads of cargo vessels and cruise ships.