Helios Electric Passenger Ferry. © Viking Line
Viking Line is preparing to launch the Helios concept, the world’s largest electric passenger ferry.
The Helios concept is a completely emission-free ferry service between Helsinki and Tallinn. The company’s new vessel concept shows that a green sea route across the Gulf of Finland could become a reality as soon as the early 2030s. It would be the world’s largest fully electric passenger and car ferry.
The Helios shows what such a large electric ferry might look like. It would have a battery size of around 85 to 100 megawatt hours (MWh) and could carry 2,000 passengers across the Gulf of Finland in a little over two hours. The ship would be 195 meters long, 30 meters wide, and travel at a speed of about 23 knots. It would also have space for about 2 kilometers of freight. One noticeable feature is that Helios doesn’t have a traditional smokestack.
Helios is the result of a research partnership between Viking Line, the Rauma shipyard, and several other partners. It’s specially designed for the Helsinki–Tallinn route, which is 80 kilometers (43 nautical miles) long—an ideal distance for electric travel. The ferry would charge its batteries while docked in port, needing more than 30 megawatt hours of charging power each time.
source Viking Line
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