Electric ferry fleet powering ahead

Maritime transport is going electric, with ferries to the fore.

The Havyard shipyard has received a contract to build seven battery-powered ferries for Fjord1, a Norwegian transport company, Electrek reports.

“With this contract, Havyard Group has orders for 13 battery ferries at its own yard and has sold 12 battery ferry designs,” the company says.

This comes after operators of the first all-electric ferry in Norway, the Ampere, reported impressive figures after two years of operation, claiming 95% emission cuts and 80% cost reductions.

That’s brought many orders for new electric ferries and for the conversion of diesel-powered ones.

Fjord1, which operates 75 ships, has asked the Havyard Group to build a fleet of new battery-electric ferries.

Havyard design and solutions head Stig Magne Espeseth says advanced simulation tools have been used to optimise design, test and review the operating profiles.

The ferries will be used in Hordaland and Møre og Romsdal from January 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, Stena Line, which operates the Stena Jutlandica ferry between Frederikshavn (Denmark) and Gothenburg (Sweden), says it will convert that ferry to electric propulsion, using a 1mWh battery pack for the 185-metre ship – making it one of the world’s largest electric ships.