ELLEN © Peter Therkildsen

Ærøfærgerne announces cost of premature battery replacement

FerryÆrø Municipality, which operates Ærøfærgerne to and from the island of Ærø in southern Denmark, has now disclosed the expected price for a new battery pack for the electric ferry ELLEN, which is only six years old. The municipality estimates that replacing the ferry’s existing 4.3 MWh battery pack through an EU tender recently issued by Ærø Municipality will cost around DKK 28 million (EUR 3.75 million).

The replacement is taking place somewhat earlier than expected, as the projected lifespan was 10 years, while most of the batteries are now 7-8 years old. Ærøfærgerne explains that the shorter lifespan is partly due to heavier strain on the batteries during the ferry’s service so far, including extended periods when ELLEN has sailed with reduced battery capacity, which increases wear on the remaining battery units.

Because of the reduced battery capacity, ELLEN has only been able to operate four of the five scheduled daily round trips on its route between Søby (Ærø) and Fynshav (Als). However, Ærøfærgerne promises that frequency will return to five round trips per day once the new battery pack has been installed. The replacement is expected to take place during a one-month docking in the spring of 2026.

Also read: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/danish-first-movers-choose-to-replace-entire-battery-pack-on-2019-built-electric-ferry.aspx

Sep 24 2025