HANSA 02-2023

SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP TECHNOLOGY
Leclanché inks battery orders for ferries
The shipping of the future also includes batteries – for example in the RoPax segment. Swiss
manufacturer Leclanché is one of the major suppliers in the market. Most recently, two
important contracts were signed
Leclanché announced projects for hybrid
newbuildings ordered by ferry
shipping companies Scandlines and Brittany
Ferries. In that respect, the company
spoke about continuation of reaching
»new milestones in the electrification of
marine transport«. Each of the ordered
battery system has a capacity of
11.3 MWh as the RoPax vessels are said
to be the world’s largest hybrid vessels –
surpassing Leclanché’s prior recordbreaking
marine projects. »These projects
planned for delivery in 2024 and
2025 further consolidate our backlog and
ranks us as a leading player in the e-marine
space«, the Swiss company said.
Own production in
Germany and Switzerland
The two nearly 195 m long hybrid
E-Flexer ferries have been designed and
developed by Swedish shipowner Stena
RoRo in collaboration with Brittany Ferries
and will be chartered on a ten-year
lease to Brittany Ferries for operation between
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, and
the French ports of Saint-Malo and Caen.
The hybrid propulsion system will be
capable of operation using both liquified
natural gas (LNG) fuel and Leclanché’s
third generation, Navius MRS-3TM onboard
battery storage system.
Building on the investments made
over the past four years in technology,
product and market development, the
Navius MRS-3 TM uses Leclanché’s
third generation lithium-ion battery
systems, each with a capacity of
11.3 MWh and a maximum of 940 V.
The system is guaranteed for ten years
of continuous operation. According to
the manufacturer, the Battery Energy
Storage Systems (BESS) use a highly redundant
structure with 46 battery
strings. Delivery to the yards is scheduled
for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Over the years, Leclanché has collected
several orders for hybrid and fully electric
vessels including the recently awarded
Scandlines PR24 project, where it is currently
supplying a 10 MWh Navius
MRS-3 TM system. At the time of the
purchase order, it was the world’s largest
hybrid ferry, as well as the »Yara Birkeland«,
the world’s first autonomous and
fully electric container ship (HANSA
01/2022).
As the company states, it is one of the
few battery system suppliers to manufacture
its own lithium-ion battery cells,
packs, modules and casings to German
and Swiss standards in its own automated
manufacturing assembly lines in Willstätt,
Germany, and Yverdon, Switzerland.
Staffan Stenfelt, General Manager
Newbuilding at Stena RoRo, said. »We’re
excited to partner with Leclanché in this
major milestone in hybridisation technology
and demonstrate the importance
of flexibility in building next generation
vessels that can adapt to the latest technology
developments.«
© Leclanché
The new battery system Navius MRS-3
Phil Broad, CEO of Leclanché E-Mobility,
emphasized: »We are delighted to
join in the efforts of both Stena RoRo and
Brittany Ferries in favour of the decarbonisation
of maritime transport.
These projects will strengthen our order
book and our own production capacity,
reinforcing the Company’s positive outlook.
ED
© Brittany Ferries
© Scandlines
New orders were inked by Brittany Ferries ...
... and Scandlines – the shipowner aiwats a newbuilding from Cemre
HANSA – International Maritime Journal 02 | 2023
41