TYCHO BRAHE

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TYCHO BRAHE now ready to operate on battery power

OCT 25 2017 - The battery-converted ferry TYCHO BRAHE was initially planned to operate on battery power by the end of June this year. However, due to technical problems this had to be postponed.

Charging problems delay return of hybrid ferry to service

The "Tycho Brahe" is suffereing charging problems and had to delay its electric virgin tour. On June 20, 2017, HH Ferries, which own Scandlines, had invited to the grand launch of the world's largest electric ferry, the "Tycho Brahe". The event has now been canceled with a 24-hour notice. The reason was that ABB was struggling to get the charging equipment working as it should. The converted diesel ferry, which runs between Helsingborg and Helsingør, has received over 40 tonnes of batteries from PBES in Trondheim on board. During the last tests, the ship-to-land communication infrastructure on land did not work to 100 percent. HH Ferrries and ABB have therefore decided to wait for the party until everything works optimally. The installation of the highly complex charging system did not work optimally and it was therefore decided to wait for the ferry to use the technical conditions and all certificates are in place. The fully automatic charging system at both ends did not work properly. Two diesel engines have been removed and battery packs of just over 8.32 MWh have been installed. In addition to the "Tycho Brahe", also the sister ship "Aurora" will be rebuilt this autumn. Deliveries from PBES totaled 89 tonnes to the two vessels. ABB Marine and Ports in Finland received the $ 300 million contract with HH Ferries Group, which runs the four ferries crossing Øresund all day. Parts of the technology come from Norway, where ABB and NTNU have built a hybrid laboratory. The ABB contract covers everything from landline transformer and landing system, automatic power connection with robot, to new boards, power management system, DC Grid and DC batteries. ABB has chosen the Trondheim company PBES as a subcontractor for batteries, which is to be the world's most secure one. With the lithium-ion batteries on two of the four ships, HH Ferries halves the emissions.

HH Ferries Group has docked Tycho Brahe for completion of battery conversion

HH Ferries Group says Tycho Brahe has docked at the shipyard in Landskrona for completion of the remaining conversion and installation works to ensure that the ferry can be recommissioned as a fully battery-operated vessel on the Helsingborg-Helsingör route by the end of June. Tycho Brahe was decommissioned on Tuesday 18 April and will return as a battery-driven ferry before the summer season begins. Aurora is scheduled for docking for completion when the summer season draws to a close. Mercandia VIII replaces Tycho Brahe and Aurora during their respective dockings.