China Zorrilla has entered passenger service for Buquebus on the Buenos Aires–Colonia route. The 130-metre ferry, built by Incat Tasmania in Hobart, has completed its first commercial crossing of the River Plate between Argentina and Uruguay using battery power.
The ferry’s design accommodates a maximum of 2,100 passengers alongside 225 vehicles. Batteries weighing over 250 tonnes provide storage capacity above 40 MWh and supply eight electrically driven waterjets. Passenger amenities include a duty-free shopping area measuring approximately 2,300 square metres.
An official ceremony took place in Buenos Aires on 21 October 2026, before commercial operations began. Attendees included representatives of Buquebus, officials from the Argentine and Uruguayan maritime authorities, and Incat managing director Craig Clifford.
Clifford also joined the first commercial crossing. Describing his experience aboard, he said he did not hear or feel the familiar engine noise and vibration.
Known during construction as Hull 096, China Zorrilla was described by Incat as the world’s largest battery-electric ship in its May 2025 launch announcement. The ship’s development, from design through engineering and construction, spanned several years at the Tasmanian yard.
Incat‘s other construction work in Hobart includes three battery-electric ferries of 129 metres for Denmark’s Molslinjen. Two hybrid-electric vessels of 78 metres are also being built there.
