German shipyard Stralsunder Ostseestaal and its Ampereship business unit delivered two electric solar ferries to Lago d'Iseo near Bergamo in northern Italy this week.
The client was the responsible local authority of the operator Navigazione Lago d'Iseo, and the two newbuilds from Stralsund are the first fully electric ferries in Italy.
The 26-metre-long and 6.60-metre beam Iseo ferries each have two electric drives with an output of 100 kilowatts (kW), with electricity supplied by two battery banks with a total capacity of around 750 kWh.
These are charged by shore power and by solar modules, covering 75 per cent of the roof area of the solar deck, during the journey.
The lightweight catamarans with capacity for 140 passengers each have been optimised for a speed of 9.2 knots, but can reach up to 10.6 knots at top speed.
Ampereship said it integrated its own propulsion, automation and energy management systems into the newbuilds. The builder delivered the ships in sections and assembled them on site, which took around four weeks.