Blidösundsbolaget, a subsidiary of French multinational transport operator Transdev, has partnered with Scania to retrofit a diesel city commuter boat for hybrid operations.
M/S Rex, built in 1937, is now is ferrying commuters on behalf of Stockholm Transport, which currently operates a fossil fuel-free fleet of buses and trains.
The vessel operates daily on a 75-minute route on Lake Mälaren, between Stockholm city centre and the island of Ekerö.
It can take up to 150 people and uses a Scania 13-litre diesel engine that conforms to the international IMO Tier 3 emission standard.
Supported by an electric motor that enables the boat to approach jetties silently, the boat’s total propulsion power is 240kW continuously or 290kW for a short duration.
It takes around 100kW of power to run the boat at cruise speed, which provides two hours of running time on electricity.
“We’re encouraged by what we’ve seen so far,” said Fredrik Liw, technical manager at Blidösundsbolaget.
“There’s still a lot of development and testing to do, but we could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 47%.”
Approximately 60% of commuters in the Swedish capital reportedly use public transport. As such, Stockholm Transport said it has started making greater use of the city’s waterways, which provide shorter and quicker journeys.
By 2021, 90% of all regional public transport vessels will be operated on fossil-free fuels.
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