Worlds largest electric ship launched by Tasmanian boatbuilder

Solar on the ship vs shore-based solar

• Big debate on whether the flat roof should be covered in PV.
• Critics:
  • Surface area is too small relative to energy use; effect on range would be negligible (likened to solar on cars).
  • Extra weight, complexity, safety procedures, and harsh marine environment raise costs; much cheaper and more reliable to put solar on land at terminals.
  • Detailed back-of-envelope math suggests even 100 roof modules would add only a small fraction of daily energy needs.
• Supporters:
  • Panels could offset “hotel load” (lighting, electronics, HVAC), slightly extending range and cutting shore charging costs.
  • Useful as emergency “lifeboat” power for heat, desalination, and basic systems if stranded.
  • Some small-boat experiences cited to argue that even modest solar is valuable, though others say that doesn’t scale to large ferries.
• Several comments stress that any “5–10% range” claim is speculative and likely overstated; exact benefit remains unclear.

Energy use, range, and charging

• Ship has about 40 MWh of batteries (≈250 tonnes), reportedly enough for roughly 40 nautical miles / 90 minutes.
• Operates between Buenos Aires and Colonia (~60 km), with DC fast charging at both ends; a full charge takes ~40 minutes, per linked technical article.
• Comparison to planes, bikes, and maglevs is seen as apples-to-oranges; water drag is much higher than road or air.
• Similar Scandinavian electric ferries recharge during loading/unloading, drawing 10–40 MW from shore; that model is expected here too.

Design and construction details

• Built from aluminum rather than steel for large weight savings and efficiency; the yard specializes in this.
• Uses waterjet propulsion for the shallow Río de la Plata estuary instead of propellers.
• Discussion on how to deliver it to South America: likely via heavy-lift “float-on/float-off” ship; route timing and bad-weather capes are concerns.

Economics and broader context

• Battery system replaces ~700 tonnes of engines, gearboxes, cryogenic tanks, and fuel from the originally planned dual-fuel design.
• Cost context: other ferries range from single-digit millions for used ICE vessels to hundreds of millions for new large hybrids; one source claims this ship is around $200M.
• Some note that electrifying ferries where grid power is mostly heavy fuel oil may limit environmental benefits.
• Experiences with other electric ferries (e.g., Øresund) are very positive: quiet, no fumes, smooth ride.

Miscellaneous

• Some criticize the ship’s aesthetics; others share construction photos.
• Brief nitpicking over “largest electric ship” vs nuclear or diesel-electric vessels, with clarification that many of those are not pure battery-electric.