Wärtsilä has been retained by Finland’s Wasaline as electrical integrator in a project to increase battery capacity on board the RoPax vessel, Aurora Botnia. The ferry’s batteries will be boosted by nearly five times, increasing the current 2.2-MWh system to 12.6 MWh, making it the largest marine battery hybrid system currently in operation.
The 2021-built vessel, already one of the world’s most sustainable ferries, is described as a ‘floating test lab’ and is attached to Wärtsilä’s Sustainable Technology Hub. It operates on the route between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden and has dual-fuel engines running on biogas and batteries.
The new setup will include an Energy Management System, an upgrade of the power drives, and control system integration. The project is due for completion in 2026, Wärtsilä said.
Wasaline managing director, Peter Ståhlberg, commented: “Wasaline’s commitment to decarbonised shipping operations is central to everything we do. In this, our close cooperation with Wärtsilä is an essential element that benefits not only both our companies, and we can see that our cooperation sets standards for the whole marine sector. Through our continued collaboration, the Aurora Botnia has become a working example of what is possible when it comes to delivering environmentally friendly transportation within shipping.”
