Stavanger-based shipping company Norled and Ølen-based shipyard Westcon have signed a contract for the construction of two new ferries, one of which will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered car ferry and the other a battery-powered ferry similar to the MF Ampere.
– “We believe that this construction project will help the Norwegian maritime sector as a whole to be at the forefront of hydrogen-powered ferries,” says technical director Sigvald Breivik of Norled, which built the world’s first battery-powered ferry, MF Ampere.
– “This is a large and important contract for us in Ølen. To be involved in building what will be a world first not only fills our order book, but also helps us consolidate our position as a shipyard with a high level of innovation and technological expertise,” says Endre Matre, Director of Shipbuilding at Westcon.
The two ferries that Westcon will build for Norled will both operate on the national road 13 ferry connection Hjelmeland-Skipavik-Nesvik in Ryfylket from spring 2021.
– “Since we signed the contract with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in January to build and operate a completely new type of zero-emission ferry based on using hydrogen as fuel, there has been great interest and demand from both Norway and abroad,” says Sigvald Breivik, technical director of Norled.
– We are therefore very pleased that, after careful consideration, we have signed an agreement for the construction of the hydrogen ferry with Westcon in Ølen. The shipyard has solid expertise in environmental technology and has proven that it has good working relationships with other key players in this project,” continues Breivik.
New maritime icon
The new hydrogen ferry is one of the biggest innovation projects that both Westcon and Norled have had. In 2015, Norled launched the world’s first battery-powered car and passenger ferry, MF Ampere.
– In many ways, Ampere has become an icon for the green revolution in the ferry industry. By 2022, more than 70 Norwegian ferries will run on battery power and contribute to significant climate and environmental emissions overall. Our ambition is for the upcoming hydrogen ferry to become a new icon that will put Norway on the map in maritime zero-emission technology to an even greater extent and where the project will demonstrate that hydrogen can be used on energy-intensive connections where battery technology alone falls short,” says Breivik.
Endre Matre at Westcon says that the shipyard and subcontractors will employ around 150 people at most to build the two ferries, which will be ready in March and May 2021. The shipyard will mostly use Norwegian subcontractors for ship equipment, while parts of the hydrogen system will be purchased from Europe.
The ferries will have a capacity of 299 passengers and 80 cars. The advantage of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel is that it is better suited to deliver larger amounts of energy to the ferry’s propulsion systems, and this property can be used to increase the sailing distance or to have high speed, such as on express boats. The contract partners have agreed not to disclose the contract value.
For more information contact:
Endre Matre, Director of Shipbuilding at Westcon by phone: +47 99 29 32 00
Sigvald Breivik, Technical Director at Norled on telephone: + 47 990 26 237
