The future is all going to be electric. Just how many times have we heard that one, it ought to be asked? Rather, what makes sense is to understand the fact that the present indeed, is electric and already!
Recently, what made Danish headlines and then soon after, national news all across Europe was an electric ferry in Denmark.
Yes, you read that one right. In the land that’s given us reputed automobiles such as Dansk, Hammel, Anglo-Dane and Brems and so many other names, an electric ferry in Denmark turned on the action.
Apparently, it’s the world’s largest electric ferry in Denmark that just recently entered service. Named ‘Ellen’- soft, sweet and a petite feminine name- the electric ferry will operate between two Danish islands.
At the forefront of the story lies a buzzing shipping sector in Denmark albeit navigating across strict new emission laws that are set to go operational in 2020. But what’s more exciting is that the electric ferry also completed its maiden journey recently.
In describing the maiden journey of the now-renowned “electric ferry”, it suffices to say that Ellen hummed, rather ferried its way across the straits between the island ports of Fynshav and Soby, Southern Denmark.
An important point to note about the said ferry is that is it powered by a 4.3-megawatt battery. Capable to carry a huge cargo capacity, at present, “Ellen” can easily carry 200 passengers and 30 passenger cars.
And all that told, here’s what is implicit in the DNA of the electric ferry: the quintessential advantage of cutting out environmental concerns, enabling a cleaner and more efficient future.
This is no lame talk, though.
While the Ferry might be Danish, the battery maker, or, as one could say, the driver of the electric ferry happens to be a Swiss firm. Lechlance, the Swiss battery- maker stated that at present capacity, the electric ferry in Denmark will cut approximately 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 1.4 tonnes of sulfur dioxide and that too, every year.
With an Indian CEO Anil Srivastava at the helm of its affairs, the future of electric vessels looks bright as conveyed in the exciting media exchange by the Swiss battery maker’s chief:
“This project demonstrates that today we can replace fossil fuel thermal drives with clean energy, and thus contribute to the fight against global warming and pollution for the well-being of our communities.“
A leading European news media outlet highlighted the key facets surrounding Ellen and was quoted as saying, “Ellen demonstrates that even longer regional routes can be covered by purely electric means,” said the mayor of the local town of Ærø, Ole Wej Petersen. He also added that he hopes the vessel will become a tourist draw in itself.
The above advantages spruce to life thanks to the ferry’s clean propulsion system. From the month of September, the journeys will increase anywhere between five to seven times a day. How’s that for a wonderful and ‘clean’ start?
A wonderful and skillful exhibition of marine architecture, Ellen is 60 meters long in height and 13 meters wide and it required some effort on the part of the Danish designers to make the vessel absolutely seaworthy.
But all of that said, perhaps what actually carves the success of Ellen is that it comes to life at a time when the country of its origin is charting an ambitious path toward its new climate plans. Currently, Denmark under the Prime Ministership of Ms. Mette Frederiksen has endeavored to reduce its overall emissions by a whopping 70%.
This is no ordinary figure as at present, it has been identified as the most ambitious target for any developed country on the planet.