http://j.people.com.cn/n3/2023/0302/c95952-10215141.html
A battery hybrid car ferry with a capacity for 1,500 passengers was built by Guangzhou Shipbuilding International for P&O Ferries of the UK, was launched on February 28, 2023. The vessel will operate in the English Channel between the ports of Dover, England and Calais, France.
The vessel contains a total of 1,160 large-capacity batteries equivalent to the battery capacity of 150 electric vehicles. There are two battery charging modes. One is recharging by the wharf’s power supply, which charges the batteries when the ship docks at the wharf and loads passengers and cargo. The other is recharging by the ship’s onboard generator, which can collect excess power while the ship is underway into large-capacity onboard storage batteries. Gasoline-powered propulsion mode and battery propulsion mode can be switched with a single touch. When the vessel is entering and working in ports or navigating near-shore waters, zero emissions battery mode is mainly used.
The bow and stern of this car ferry appear are nearly identical. This design gives the vessel unique maneuverability and the ability to turn 360 degrees on the spot. The ship has one cockpit at the bow and one at the stern, and the equipment in the cockpit is identical. The vessel is highly automated and each function can be controlled almost automatically. The total number of alarm points and various control points for the entire ship reaches more than 12,000. Even if the engine room is left unattended while the ship is underway, the status inside the engine room can be grasped at hand.