Ærøfærgerne to replace Ellen’s battery system

Echandia has been selected to deliver a new battery system for e-ferry Ellen, operated by Ærøfærgerne in Denmark.

Echandia will supply a 3.2-MWh lithium titanate oxide (LTO) battery system to replace the previous 4.3-MWh nickel manganese and cobalt (NMC) system. The new system is designed for a 15-year lifetime and features multiple daily fast-charging cycles at high efficiency.

“We are pleased Echandia has secured the tender. We see them as a trusted partner with a well-suited battery system for this type of application. The Echandia solution meets our requirements for long lifetime, high roundtrip efficiency, and maximum safety,” said Ærøfærgerne communications director Allan Filtenborg.

A statement explained Echandia’s LTO technology is well-suited for high-frequency, fast-charging ropax ferry operations, where reliability is critical. The system supports very high C-rates, enabling more than 20,000 charge cycles and charging in around 25 minutes, an improvement of 10 minutes per charging session.

Delivered in 2019, Ellen was the world’s first long-range, pure electric ferry and a symbol of zero-emissions passenger transport. The vessel operates to and from the island of Ærø in southern Denmark. At eight years of age, the original NMC battery system will be replaced due to uneven wear and reduced capacity.

Ærøfærgerne chose Echandia to supply the new battery system following a tender, with operations with the LTO system scheduled to begin in May 2026.

“This project demonstrates Echandia’s knowledge and other capabilities as an established marine supplier,” said Echandia chief executive Torbjörn Bäck. “We will deliver and commission an optimised complete battery system within six months, making sure the vessel is ready for summer operations 2026.”