Albion Marine is proud to be on the front lines of new electric and hybrid propulsion technologies for existing fleets and new builds. It is already a few years since we have completed a concept design for an actual zero-emission cable ferry- Albion Zero. The concept utilizes solar power and the power of river streams to generate sufficient charge for ferry operation. The ferry carries eight vehicles or two large trucks and capable of operating in shallow waters. The vessel does not need an electric grid, and it does not utilize engines during the regular process.
Director of Albion Marine Mr. Yakovenko says: “It is an elegant engineering concept specifically designed for a river crossing in remote Northern location with limited or non-existing infrastructure. Our modular design makes it suitable for a large range of ferry designs. The conversion payback period only a few years”. The initial CAPEX makes sense. Nowadays, electric or hybrid technologies get more and more interest with progressive Shipowners and operators. First of all, we see a massive drop in the price of cell batteries. The cell prices declined from 1,160 to 176 US dollars per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from 2010 to 2018. As a result, the industry increasingly sees batteries in hybrid power systems, especially in the ferry and short-sea segments. The hybrid power immensely reduces air emissions while reducing overall OPEX by 30-60%.
