Molslinjen to build giant battery on Samsø

Molslinjen will build a large battery on Samsø island to store enough electricity to charge the electric ferry Tyrfing, DR reports.

The battery will have a capacity of 12 megawatt-hours when fully charged, equivalent to the electricity used by 1,000 households in one day, according to Jesper Maack, Molslinjen’s head of press and communications.

“If you simply plug the ferry in and draw directly from the power grid, it could make the lights blink when that much electricity is transferred at once,” Maack said.

Construction is due to begin in the autumn, with the battery expected to be able to store electricity from March.

In the longer term, Molslinjen hopes the battery can also help stabilise Samsø’s electricity grid if capacity problems arise. Samsø has a closed electricity circuit and receives some of its power through underwater cables, Maack said.