"During the first year of the GFF project focus was on performance and demonstration. BB Green is a peak performance state of the art vessel and the customer satisfaction is based on optimizing speed, weight, energy consumption, number of passengers and range. These parameters coincide and counteract. So first thing was to optimize performance within given conditions. A lot of software adjustments and attaching interceptors has resulted in a performance slightly better than expected from tank tests.
Batteries are crucial to performance. LTO batteries on the demo boat have been performing well. However, the weight would be too high and the NMC alternative is not performing enough when it comes to charging time and life time. We therefore developed a new LTO type of battery system based on the same Toshiba modules with less weight and same performance. Thanks to the efficiency of the batteries the investment is 30 % lower than with conventional NMC systems. As a spin-off Echandia has delivered this new battery system to the seven electric ferries in Copenhagen.
Weight limits performance and efforts have been made to reduce weight. The development of new batteries is one example. Another is the finding that there is no need for a dieselgenerator which results in a considerable weight reduction. Furthermore, vendor search has led to a new type of permanent magnet motors with 65 % less weight.
A lot of work that is not visible has been done regarding cooling system, fire protection and complying to class and national regulations.
A 1.5 MW charging station has been developed in parallel. The charging station is integrated into a mobile floating jetty to make the introduction of the joint concept of a state of the art commuter ferry and charging infrastructure as easy as possible. The floating jetty will also make it possible for the ferry to automatically connect/disconnect the charging plug in less than 30 seconds.
During these two years, lots of people have gone for a ride with the BB Green vessel - operators, journalists, politicians, ship-owners and technicians. In May 2018, BB Green went through the Gota canal to Gothenburg and the island of Ockero. BB Green was demonstrated to inhabitants from eight islands in the surrounding archipelago as a future commuting vessel. On the way to Oslo demos were carried out in Stromstad and Fredrikstad. Based in Oslo during the Nor-Shipping conference, BB Green offered lots of opportunities to take a ride. Now the vessel is based i Sandefjord and potential customers go there for demo tours.
At the Electric & Hybrid Marine conference in Amsterdam in June 2017, operator Green City Ferries was given the ""Propulsion system of the year award"" for the BB Green driveline. At the conference as well as at 24 other conferences we have held speeches about the concept. Over the two years, 354 articles have been written about BB Green globally. A fast and emission free commuter."
