BV to certify first zero-emission ship for Batorama

Bureau Veritas has won the contract to certify the first vessel in river operator Batorama’s new programme of pioneering zero-emission tourist passenger boats.

Strasbourg-based Batorama is embarking on a complete fleet renewal programme to replace its current ships with a new generation of 100% electric passenger boats.

The project, named ‘Caravelle’, is the result of a four-year collaboration with Lorient-based ship design and engineering consultant Ship-ST, which has already carried out more than 1,000 maritime and inland waterway projects.

Ship-ST was also involved in the design and conception of the boat.

Batorama will build seven identical vessels powered by lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. An initial pilot vessel will be constructed, followed by a 6 further units which will be delivered between 2023 and 2028.

Bureau Veritas will certify the pilot ship for compliance with ES-TRIN (the European Standard for Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels. It will also certify the batteries and the Battery Management System for type approval and conformity with international standards IEC 62619 & IEC 62620.

Delivery of the first boat is expected this year from French shipyard Transmetal Industrie, a specialist in both aluminium hull construction and passenger boats and a longstanding collaborator with Bureau Veritas. Transmetal affiliate, La Rochelle-based Alternatives Energies, will supply the propulsion batteries for the project.

The aluminium vessels will have a length of 25 metres, a retractable glass roof, and capacity to carry 135 passengers. The vessels’ 700 kWh LFPo-technology battery bank will give the boats 16 hours of autonomy.

The hull has been optimized by CFD simulations to achieve a minimum resistance when navigating in Strasbourg. The Ill, the river that flows through Strasbourg, is particularly narrow with relatively little depth.

The boat will be equipped with two independent port and starboard battery systems, each supplying a side of the boat. The two battery systems are installed in a dedicated room and distributed longitudinally on the boat. Each battery is integrated into an A60 insulated box. There will be 4 racks of 2 x 16 modules each, with each module containing 12 cells.

The rack integrates all the components of the Bureau Veritas-certified battery system including a BMS (Battery Management System) which manages the entire battery.

The system offers excellent electrical performance while guaranteeing a degree of high reliability and safety. Operations are guaranteed both at an environmental level (ambient temperature), and at an electrical level (charge/discharge management by BMS and MBMS) in order to prevent the risk of failure.

In the event of excess heat leading to thermal cell runaway, the security system installed makes it possible to detect and deal quickly with inherent risks.

Study is now underway for the construction of onshore technical facilities to recharge the boats, together with the installation of appropriate river pontoons.

Batorama, which has been operating in Strasbourg for more than 70 years, welcomes nearly 800,000 visitors per year on its river cruises, making it one of the largest tourist attractions in the Grand Est region of France.

The 3€m construction programme will provide the company with an entirely new and modern fleet which is 100% decarbonised.

Photo Credit: Ship-ST 

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