Estonia's first fully electric ferry passes model tests, beating its contract speed
Estonia's first fully electric ferry has cleared its first big test. A scale model of the Estonian State Fleet's new battery ferry has completed a week of tank testing at the Schiffbau Versuchsanstalt Potsdam (SVA), the ship model basin in Germany, and the results came back ahead of the contract.
The ferry is designed for a maximum speed of 12 knots. In the tests the model reached 14 knots while still holding a power reserve, and its energy consumption stayed inside the limits set in the build contract, with margin to spare. The programme covered seakeeping and hydrodynamics as well as the hull, propulsion and energy efficiency solutions.
The ship
Estonian State Fleet electric ferryOwnerEstonian State Fleet (Riigilaevastik)BuilderCRIST S.A., Gdynia, PolandDesignerLMG Marin FranceLengthAbout 95 metresCapacityUp to 380 passengers and 110 cars, or 8 trucksBattery3 MWh, the main source of powerBackupBiodiesel generators for heavy weather and emergenciesPropulsionTwo Steerprop SP 25 contra rotating propeller units with permanent magnet motorsIce class1B, for ice up to 60 cm thickRouteVirtsu to Kuivastu (Muhu, gateway to Saaremaa); can also serve Rohuküla to Heltermaa (Hiiumaa)Contract€49.93 million, signed May 2026In serviceEnd of 2028
Battery first, diesel only as backup
Under normal conditions the ferry will run the whole Virtsu to Kuivastu crossing on battery power, recharging at the quay with renewable electricity. Biodiesel generators stay on board for rough open sea conditions and emergencies, and give the ship a range of at least 1,000 nautical miles if it has to leave its route.
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