HH Ferries Launches Battery-powered Passenger Vessels

Swedish HH Ferries Group has inaugurated the two ferries Aurora and Tycho Brahe as the world’s largest battery-powered passenger ferries on the route between Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingör, Denmark.

A press release from the owner of the ferry route which is marketed under the trademark Scandlines Helsingborg-Helsingör quoted Johan Röstin, CEO as saying: “Today’s official inauguration marks a milestone for HH Ferries Group’s green strategy. The ambitious project reduces the company’s total emissions of CO2, NOx and particles by 65% when the two high-frequency ferries are powered by green electricity."

He added: "That is great news for the environment in and around Öresund and for customers and inhabitants in our local area. And it proves that determination and the will to invest enables the realization of grand targets – in the environmental area as well.”

The battery project on Tycho Brahe and Aurora has lasted more than three years, and with a financial scope of around SEK 300 million, it is HH Ferries Group’s largest single investment ever. INEA, the European Union’s executive agency for innovation and network, has supported the project with around SEK 120 million, and the result has been ground-breaking in the maritime world in several ways.

In each port, automatic land-based charging stations equipped with industrial robots perform the connection and maximizes the charging period to enable efficient charging of each vessel’s 640 batteries within a few minutes. The combined battery power of 8,320 kWh for the two ferries is equivalent to 10,700 car batteries.

The batteries are located on top of the ferries along with two deckhouses for transformers, converters and cooling systems. From here, cables run to docking points at each end of the vessel, ensuring that the batteries can be charged swiftly and without complications at each docking – with the power of 70 electric cars.

“It is a pioneer project we have completed, and even though it has been challenging, it has been worth the efforts. Our employees and collaboration partners have put in a huge amount of work to ensure that the new technology is efficient. Simultaneously, our owners and INEA have supported and displayed great trust in the project throughout the process," Johan Röstin said.

"Today, it is the result of a joint effort that we can all be proud of and take part in celebrating. Tomorrow, we will share this joyous occasion with our passengers when all foot passengers are invited onboard all of our ferries between 10 am and 6 pm. And we are looking forward to many years of emission and noise-free crossings with Öresund’s floating bridge – to the benefit of us all,” he added.