Imagine giving an old ferry a giant, high-tech battery pack and a smart brain to manage its power. Instead of relying on heavy fuel, the ship uses a massive charger at the dock to power its journey. It's like upgrading a gas car to a long-range electric vehicle, but for massive ships carrying passengers and cars.
Existing maritime vessels rely on carbon-heavy fuels, and transitioning to electric is hindered by limited battery range, slow charging, and a lack of clear safety regulations for retrofitting.
A full-scale retrofitted RoPax ferry system featuring next-gen batteries, high-capacity shore charging, an AI-driven energy management system, and digital twin modeling tools.
If you are a ferry operator dealing with high fuel costs and emissions — this project developed a retrofitting kit for RoPax ferries that increases electric-only range by 40%, allowing ships to travel at least 120 nautical miles on battery power.
If you are a port authority dealing with slow vessel turnaround and outdated power grids — this project developed high-capacity shore-side charging systems that enable rapid battery replenishment for large vessels.
If you are a design firm dealing with the complexity of electrification — this project developed digital twins and AI-driven energy management systems to validate extended range and thermal efficiency before physical installation.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project includes techno-economic analysis and business models to ensure the solution is economically viable.
Yes, the project uses a full-scale demonstration on the Finnsirius or Finncanopus ferries and includes replication studies for diverse vessel types to ensure scalability across Europe.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, but the consortium includes 10 industry partners and 3 universities to develop these tools.
The project delivers guidelines for retrofitting advanced battery systems and fire safety solutions to fill existing regulatory gaps for safe adoption.
The project runs from 2026-07-01 to 2030-06-30, focusing on demonstration and validation during this period.
The consortium is heavily industry-weighted with a 67% industry ratio (10 out of 15 partners), indicating a strong push toward commercialization. It integrates the entire value chain, from shipping companies (Finnlines, CSM) and power solutions (Wärtsilä, Corvus) to port authorities and a classification society (Lloyd’s Register), supported by 4 research entities for technical validation.
Contact VTT Research Ltd in Finland
Contact us to connect with the Electric Blue consortium for retrofitting partnerships.
