Echandia of Sweden has been selected to deliver a new battery system for ferry ‘Ellen’, operated by Ærøfærgerne in Denmark.
Echandia will supply a 3.2MWh LTO battery system to replace the previous 4.3MWh NMC system. The new system is designed for a 15-year lifetime and features multiple daily fast-charging cycles at high efficiency.
Allan Filtenborg, Ærøfærgerne, said: “We are very pleased that 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.”
Echandia’s LTO (Lithium-Titanate Oxide) technology is considered suitable for high-frequency, fast-charging ro-pax ferry operations, where reliability is critical. The system supports very high C-rates, enabling over 20,000 charge cycles and charging in around 25 minutes. It offers an improvement of 10 minutes per charging session.
Delivered in 2019, Ellen was the first long-range, pure electric ferry and a symbol of zero-emission 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 as supplier of the new battery system following a tender process. Scheduled operation with the new battery system will be in May 2026.
Torbjörn Bäck, CEO Echandia, said: “This project demonstrates Echandia’s knowledge and other capabilities as an established marine supplier. We will deliver and commission an optimised complete battery system within six months, making sure the vessel is ready for summer operations 2026.”
The replacement proves that upgrading earlier-generation batteries with modern systems is both technically and financially viable, offering longer lifetime, higher efficiency, and higher standards of safety.
Image: Ferry ‘Ellen’ will receive replacement LTO batteries from Echandia (source: Echandia)
