The world’s largest battery-powered ship launched this week in Australia.

A large crowd assembled at the Incat Tasmania shipyard in Hobart on Friday to witness the unveiling of the Incat Hull 096. Officials declared it as a significant step towards sustainable shipping and their most crucial undertaking to date.

“This is a historic day – not just for Incat, but for the future of maritime transport,” said Incat Tasmania chairman Robert Clifford.

The company emphasized that in its over four decades of building top-notch vessels in Tasmania, the construction of Hull 096 stands out as their most ambitious, intricate, and vital project. They hailed the ship as a groundbreaking development in the industry.

The Tasmania-headquartered company constructed the ship for Buquebus, a ferry operator in South America. Buquebus intends to operate the vessel on the route linking the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, and Uruguay. The specific cost of the ship remains undisclosed.

The Hull 096 can carry up to 2,100 passengers and hold 225 vehicles, and operates entirely on battery-electric power.

Eight electric-driven water jets propel the 426-foot-long Hull 096, which is also the world’s largest electric vehicle.

“Hull 096 proves that large-scale, low-emission transport solutions are not only possible, they are ready now,” said Incat’s chief executive, Stephen Casey.

The ship is equipped with more than 551,156 pounds of batteries and an energy storage system with more than 40 megawatt-hours.

Work continues on the vessel’s interior, which includes a 7,546 square foot duty-free retail deck – the biggest shopping space on any ferry in the world.

Clifford said Incat plans to build “as many sustainable ships as possible for the global market, both here in Australia and overseas.”