Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat is set to make history by constructing the world’s first large electric ferry for a South American customer.
The company’s founder and chairman, Robert Clifford, is said to be finalising a deal with Argentinian ferry operator Buquebus for the 130m ferry to be powered by batteries rather than gas.
Incat, which employs hundreds of workers at its Derwent Park shipyard, was asked to investigate the possibility of replacing the LNG power plant with a battery electric one.
The lightweight ferry, originally intended to be powered by Liquefied natural gas, will have the capacity to carry 2100 passengers and 226 vehicles.
If completed, it will be the largest zero-emissions ferry operating on any route in the world.
The ferry is scheduled to be delivered in 2025 and will pave the way for a new type of environmentally friendly vessels.
