Incat’s Hull 096, the world’s largest battery-electric ship, has arrived in South America after travelling thousands of kilometres from Hobart.
The Tasmanian-built vessel was officially welcomed at a ceremony in Nueva Palmira, Uruguay, over the weekend.
It was then successfully floated off the heavy-lift vessel Black Marlin, touching South American waters for the first time.
Hull 096 is now being towed by tugboats to Colonia, where its owner Buquebus will begin testing and commissioning the vessel’s systems ahead of its eventual entry into service between Uruguay and Argentina.
The arrival marks another major milestone for the 130-metre catamaran, which drew big crowds along the River Derwent on July 31 when it was loaded onto the Black Marlin in one of the most complex maritime operations ever attempted in Tasmania.
The ferry’s battery system gives it only around 90 minutes of runtime, meaning it could not travel to South America under its own power.
Incat head of public relations and corporate affairs Tom Cooper said at the time of departure that the loading was one of the biggest days in the company’s history.
“I think we saw with the amount of people that came out to watch this operation this morning, this really is Tasmania’s ship,” he said.
“The fact that we are leading the world in fully electric shipbuilding is something all of Tasmania has been extremely proud of.”
Once commissioned, the vessel will operate as the China Zorrilla for Buquebus, carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles between Argentina and Uruguay.
Incat was also recently named 2026 Tasmanian Exporter of the Year at the 32nd Tasmanian Export Awards Gala Dinner in Launceston, recognised for its work delivering battery-electric and hybrid-electric vessels to markets around the world.
The Hobart-based shipbuilder has three more large electric ferries and two smaller hybrid electric vessels under construction at its Prince of Wales Bay shipyard.
