World's Largest All-Electric Ferry Arrives in Colonia, Uruguay

en.Wedoany.com Reported - At 22:50 on September 13, the all-electric ferry "China Zorrilla," built by Australian shipyard Incat Tasmania for Uruguayan ferry operator Buquebus, made its first call at the port of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Buquebus stated that the vessel will "soon" enter service on the Buenos Aires–Colonia–Buenos Aires route.

Buquebus said that arriving in Colonia marks the vessel's final phase before commercial passenger service, with upcoming port activities including power charging and discharging tests, installation of operational equipment, and completion of pre-service finishing work. The ferry had previously been transported from Tasmania to Nueva Palmira, also in the department of Colonia, aboard the heavy cargo vessel Black Marlin.

The "China Zorrilla" is 130 meters long and can carry up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. Its energy storage system has an installed capacity of more than 40 MWh, consists of 5,016 battery cells, and weighs approximately 250 tonnes in total. It was supplied and integrated by Wärtsilä and Corvus Energy, and powers eight electric waterjets.

In September 2023, it was reported that what was then the world's largest all-electric vessel was under construction in Hobart, Tasmania, with an energy storage system expected to be 40 MWh to drive electric propulsion. In October 2025, the vessel began commissioning, with Incat energizing the first of four battery rooms. The builder stated at the time that the installed energy storage system had four times the capacity of any previous marine battery installation. In January of this year, the vessel began harbor trials on the Derwent River in Hobart, sailing under its own battery power for the first time. The trials tested propulsion, maneuverability, control systems, and operational performance before it was transported to South America.

The "China Zorrilla" is the ninth vessel Incat has built for Buquebus. According to the shipyard, the ferry was initially designed to use liquefied natural gas (GNL), but during project development the two companies decided to switch it to all-electric propulsion. Buquebus was founded in Uruguay in 1979 and operates river transport services between Argentina and Uruguay. The vessel was ordered to replace conventional ships on the Buenos Aires–Colonia route.

In 2024, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced a USD 67 million partial credit guarantee to support a USD 107 million loan from Banco Santander Uruguay to Buquebus to finance the project. The transaction was structured as Uruguay's first blue loan and, according to the IFC, the first such loan for electric maritime transport.

Operating the ferry also requires new shoreside power infrastructure. Uruguay's National Ports Administration (ANP) said it has installed two high-power chargers in Colonia specifically to serve the "China Zorrilla," and estimates that investment in port power infrastructure related to the project is about USD 20 million. On September 12, the ANP, Uruguayan government departments, and representatives of Buquebus and Incat jointly attended the vessel's official acceptance event in Nueva Palmira. A day later, the vessel completed its transfer to Colonia, where final work is now underway before it enters regular service on the Río de la Plata route.