Page 20 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication
P. 20
20 Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation
COMMUNICATION
The E-ferry project:
breaking new grounds in
Green Electric Mobility
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS AND CHALLENGES global warming. The E-ferry project was created to concretely
demonstrate the great potential of fully electric ferries and to
One of the major trends, in the world, is to move help the emergence of a cost-effective vessel.
towards environmental-friendly solutions in as
many fields as possible. Ferry services are facing A GROUNDBREAKING-EU SUPPORTED SOLUTION
significant challenges, among which, increasing Co-funded under the Horizon 2020 Programme, with a total
price of energy, demand for energy-efficient sources and budget of more than 20m €, the E-ferry aims to support
evolution of the regulation on GES emissions. Recent studies and promote energy efficient, zero emissions waterborne
indicate that fully electric battery powered ferries provide transportation for island communities, coastal zones and
the most optimal solution to these challenges. However, at inland waterways in Europe and beyond.
this stage, introducing these electric ferries involves serious
investment and bares an innovation risk. These downsides E-Ferry is coordinated by the Danish island municipality,
have often lead to conservative, less environmental-friendly Ærø, currently operating 3 conventional diesel ferries on 3
solutions that are hybrid ferries, as they are considered more different routes. The new vessel will be demonstrated in real-
commercially viable. Although it is not often considered, life conditions on the Soeby-Fynshav (a) and Soeby-Faaborg
this notion of cost-effectiveness should include the cost for (b) connections in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea. To keep
society of the resort to polluting diesel fuel powered ferries, investments reasonable and to limit the stress induced by the
leading to important pollution, health induced problems and
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