Once back in Norddeich, the
battery will be recharged in about 28 minutes before the E-Kat can then start its
next trip to the island. This technology has enabled the crossings to
be CO2 -neutral for the first time.Several projects for regenerative energy generation
and storage were combined to cover the E-Kat’s calculated electricity
consumption. Reederei Norden-Frisia equipped 600 car parking spaces with
photovoltaic roofs on its parking areas in Norddeich. In addition, solar systems have been installed on roofs and
carports in Norddeich, Harlesiel, Norderney and Juist. In the future, battery
storage will buffer surpluses from solar power generation during the day for
night needs.
The vessel, built by Damen Shipyards, was towed
from Rotterdam to the offshore island of Borkum due to the weather conditions.
From there, the E-Kat reached the island of Norderney and finally Norddeich on
its own, driven entirely on its own electrical power.
The E-Kat is part of Reederei Norden-Frisia’s comprehensive
sustainability strategy. “In the long term,
we are aiming for a closed cycle of electricity production and electricity
consumption,” said board member Carl-Ulfert Stegmann.