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Ellen (E-ferry)
E-ferry Ellen (Danish: Elfærgen Ellen) is a pioneering electric car ferry. She operates the 22-nautical-mile (41 km) route between the islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark. HistoryEllen was developed from E-Ferry,[3] an EU-backed project costing EUR 21.3 million. Although this is around 40% more expensive than a conventional vessel, operating costs are 75% lower.[4] It is expected that she will save the release of 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.[5] The ferry was built by Søby Værft A/S,[6] with sections fabricated in Szczecin, Poland.[7][8] In September 2016, 22 sections were welded together and the hull was towed to Søby on Ærø for outfitting.[7] Project evaluationThe E-ferry project ended successfully in June 2020, with Ellen in service. Evaluation of the project shows[9]
LayoutEllen can carry 30 vehicles and 200 passengers. She was designed to minimise weight. Her passenger areas are on the same level as the open car deck.[10] She has no ramps, instead using those on shore. The hull is steel but the bridge is made of aluminum. Deck furniture is made from recycled paper rather than wood, giving the ferry a total weight of 650 tonnes.[1] Ellen's batteries were developed by Leclanché of Switzerland and are reported to be Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide.[11] They are split between two battery rooms below deck and have a capacity of 4.3 MWh, larger than any other electric vessel at its time. She is one of the first such vessels to have no emergency generator.[1] A charging arm on the shore ramp moves with the tide and allows battery recharging while loading. Charging time is about 20 minutes.[12] ServiceEllen was built to operate the 22 nautical miles between the islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark.[13] She replaced MF Skjoldnæs from 15 August 2019.[14] Gallery
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