Danish electric ferry Ellen, which is powered by a massive 4.3MWh Leclanché SA battery storage system, has been awarded the European Solar Price 2020 Award for transport and mobility by Eurosolar, The European Association for Renewable Energy.
The European Solar Price was awarded to nine projects across categories including categories Municipalities, Solar architecture, Industry, Regional associations, Mobility, Media, and Education.
“Today’s winners demonstrate how the world can become fully renewable, a generative reality – wonderful ambassadors of the Regenerative Earth Decade Eurosolar calls for,” said Prof. Peter Droege, the president and chairman of the jury.
“In view of the manifest fossil climate threat, all central energy systems, including those based on nuclear resources, must be dismantled and replaced now, in a mobilization of all regenerative resources for a decentralized and renewable supply,” he said.
“For all those who still nurture hope of preserving life on earth, there is no alternative to end the burning of all fossil resources immediately – coal, natural gas and oil. Eurosola’s European Solar Prize winners show how to do it.”
Awarded the win under the transport and mobility category, the Ellen 100% electric passenger and car ferry that operates in the island municipality of Ærø, Denmark, was described by the jury as demonstrating “the great potential of green electric mobility in shipping.”
The ferry operates between its port of Søby, and the port of Fynshav on Als island, and is powered by a 4.3MWh capacity battery supplied by Swiss manufacturing company Leclanché.
It can travel up to 22 nautical miles, or 40-kilometres, on a single charge, and is now in its second year of service and prevents approximately 2,520 tonnes of CO2, 14.3 tonnes of NOX, 1.8 tonnes of CO, 1.5 tonnes of SO2, and 0.5 tonnes of particulates into the atmosphere each year.
“We are immensely proud of Ellen for winning the European Solar Prize 2020 Award in the field of renewable energy,” said Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché.
“The vessel represents a huge milestone in marine transportation and provides proof that we can replace outdated and polluting fossil fuel engines with clean energy and contribute to the fight against climate change.
“Based on actual operating data from Ellen, we can confirm that more than 70% of ferry routes in Europe can be converted to all-electric vessels and we are well positioned to address this significant market.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.