Moselle ferry Sankta Maria 2

Construction of a solar-electric car ferry for inland shipping

The Sankta Maria II ferry is the The world's first purely electrically powered inland car ferry. It runs between Wasserbillig and Oberbillig and replaces the old Sankta Maria ferry. This will save around 14,000 litres of diesel fuel per year. 
The ferry has a hull length of 17 metres and is 8.60 metres wide. The ramps are each 5.50 metres long.

The load capacity is 25 tonnes. The deck is designed for six passenger cars on 2 lanes, each 2.5 metres wide, as well as 45 people and 25 bicycles.

Propulsion is provided by four electrically driven rudder propellers, each with 27 hp. The power required for propulsion is supplied by the batteries, which are charged overnight with shore power (approx. 6 hours charging time). The battery capacity is designed for 13 hours of ferry operation + a further 13 hours as a backup.