Some of Denmark’s largest batteries will be installed at the ports of Aarhus and Sjaellands Odde, two enormous energy storage systems that will form the core of the green transition of the fast ferries of the shipping company Molslinjen, which selected BOS Power for their construction.
Preliminary studies have already begun at the Port of Aarhus, where test drillings will determine if the ground has the necessary load-bearing capacity for the foundation of these large storage structures.
BOS Power will be responsible for supplying both battery packs, which will guarantee the necessary energy supply for the future electric megacatamarans that will cover the routes across the Kattegat.
The development process and the selection of the suitable supplier for these battery parks have been carried out in collaboration with experts from Hybrid Greentech, a firm that advised Molslinjen from the start of the project and will continue to participate until its final execution.
“The Molslinjen project is one of the most complex and ambitious energy storage developments we have been involved in. There are no precedents in Europe for battery parks of this magnitude for maritime use. These installations at the ports are not mere infrastructure, but the very foundation for the Kattegat routes to be able to operate with electricity. Identifying the right solution has required exhaustive technical advice,” said Rasmus Rode Mosbaek, CEO of Hybrid Greentech.
Each of the two port battery systems will have a capacity of 118 MWh, ensuring that the large fast ferries can recharge at each stop. The charging process, lasting half an hour, will combine energy from the general electrical grid with that stored in the port batteries.
Upon connecting, each of the new catamarans will receive a charge of 15 kV AC at a power of 55,000 kW for 30 minutes, equivalent to an average of 25,000 kWh of energy transferred before its next journey.
“It is not always possible to charge directly from the electrical grid on every trip. Therefore, to guarantee the continuous availability of the necessary energy, we require these batteries as a backup and redundancy system. In them we can store the energy equivalent to three or four journeys in case problems arise with the grid supply,” explained Carsten Jensen, CEO of Molslinjen.
The introduction of these catamarans in the Kattegat is consolidated as the largest maritime electrification project globally. The vessels are currently being built at the Incat shipyard in Australia, and it is expected that the first of them will enter operation during the spring of 2028.
For his part, Kim Strate Kiegstad, Head of Energy Storage at BOS Power, highlighted the strategic relevance of the work. “This ferry route is critical infrastructure. The Kattegat connection between Jutland and Zealand is a vital communication route for the people and goods that depend on it daily.”
“The electrification of the vessels must be carried out without compromising operational reliability. Supplying energy storage at two coastal installations as a single contractor, from design to commissioning compatible with the electrical grid, is a demanding task, and it is precisely BOS Power’s specialty,” added Kiegstad.
Once the three electric ferries are in full operation, a reduction of 132,000 tonnes of CO2 per year is estimated. The total investment for the vessels and associated land infrastructure amounts to more than USD 500 million.
