Incat Crowther Bags Deal to Design Hybrid-electric Ferry for New Zealand

Incat Crowther inked a deal to design an Incat Crowther 32 hybrid-electric ferry for Fullers360 of Auckland, New Zealand. To be built by Q-West, the ferry will be the designer’s sixth from the builder and will join 10 other Incat Crowther ferries in the Fullers360 fleet.

Designed specifically for the Devonport route, the vessel will provide an efficient, low emission, quiet service between Auckland and Devonport. Flexibility is provided by an enhanced capability to operate on other routes on the network. The drivetrain features the ability to employ a pair of range-extending generators that can be used in conjunction with the battery bank. This technology supports the electrification transition while the charging network is expanded to allow all electric operation on longer trips. The design is also compatible to be refitted with hydrogen fuel for increased range as the fuel becomes more widely available in the future.

The vessel’s drivetrain consists of four Danfoss EM-PMI540-T4000 electric motors directly mounted to Hamilton HTX42 water jets, with a battery arsenal of 1944kWh to achieve maximum speeds over 28 knots. An advanced energy management system controls the deployment of the system over a range of usage profiles. As well as the primary electric-only profile, the vessel can extend its range by a mode directly feeding the propulsion motors from the generators, a mode that charges the batteries from the generators, and a hybrid boost mode that combines both sources.

The new vessel is Fullers360’s first step towards building a fleet that eliminates the use of fossils fuels on Auckland Harbor.  

Photo courtesy Incat CrowtherSPECIFICATIONS - 32m CATAMARAN PASSENGER FERRYPRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Length Overall: 113’ 7” / 34.6m
Length Waterline: 105’ 8” / 32.2m
Beam Overall: 31’ 3” / 9.5m
Draft (hull): 5’ 1” / 1.5m
Depth: 10’ 5” / 3.15m
Construction: Marine grade aluminum

CAPACITIES
Batteries: 1,944 kWh
Fuel Oil: 1 358 gallons / 5,140 liters
Fresh Water: 264 gallons / 1,000 liters
Sullage: 264 gallons / 1,000 liters
Passengers: 299
Crew: 3

PROPULSION AND PERFORMANCE
Speed (Service): 12 knots
Speed (Max): 28 knots
Propulsion motors: 4 x Danfoss EM-PMI540-T4000
Propulsion: 4 x Hamilton HTX42 water jets
Generators: 2 x Scania DI16 070M w Danfoss EM-PMI540-T3000