KEY POINTS
- The China Zorrilla, with a 41.2-MWh battery, carries 2,100 passengers and 225 cars between Buenos Aires and Colonia in about one hour.
- Powered by eight 2,400-kW electric motors and two 8-MW chargers, the Incat-built ferry reaches 25 knots with zero onboard diesel exhaust.
- Round-trip fares are listed at $43, and the route’s enhanced connectivity may support real estate and tourism demand in Uruguay’s Colonia region.
A 41.2-megawatt-hour battery weighing roughly 250 tons now drives the China Zorrilla, a 426-foot electric catamaran capable of carrying 2,100 passengers and 225 cars. The vessel—the largest electric ferry currently in service—connects Buenos Aires with Colonia del Sacramento in about one hour without producing diesel exhaust onboard.
Built at Incat’s Hobart shipyard in Tasmania, the aluminum ferry draws power from a Corvus Energy battery pack feeding eight electric motors, each rated at 2,400 kilowatts and paired with a water jet. Two 8-megawatt chargers replenish the system while the propulsion arrangement reaches a service speed of 25 knots, or roughly 29 mph.
Passengers experience a quieter, vibration-free ride compared with conventional diesel ferries. Round-trip fares to Colonia are listed at $43, though travelers are advised to confirm current pricing before booking. The vessel’s name honors Concepción “China” Zorrilla, the celebrated Uruguayan actress and director.
Incat originally received the order in summer 2023 for a liquefied natural gas-powered vessel, later switching the design to battery-electric propulsion. The water jet configuration with eight electric motors was selected for efficiency, shallow draft, maneuverability, and low maintenance.
Electrification Signals Structural Change for Regional Logistics
This deployment illustrates a broader shift in global marine propulsion. In 2025, roughly 270 electric ferries operated worldwide, with passenger vessels representing the most established early market. Lithium-ion marine batteries deliver 90–95% round-trip efficiency, a technical advantage that reduces operating costs over time.
For Uruguay, the zero-emission link strengthens the Buenos Aires–Colonia corridor, a key tourism and commuter route with direct implications for real estate demand in Colonia and surrounding coastal areas as travel reliability and environmental performance improve.
