Less than two months have passed since Norled signed the contract with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to build the world’s first hydrogen ferry, which will carry cars and passengers on the Hjelmelandsam link. Together with ship designer LMG Marin and partner Westcon Power & Automation, Norled has created a ship design that is expected to become world-famous.
“Our goal is to create a new icon in environmentally friendly ferries that succeeds the iconic value of the electric ferry ‘Ampere’,” says Norled’s technical director Sigvald Breivik.
“Knowing that this ferry will change history in terms of the use of hydrogen in the maritime industry, we want the design to reflect that. We are therefore pleased that the final design expresses power, innovation and safety,” Breivik continues.
There has been a great deal of interest in the new Norwegian ferry both in Norway and internationally, but not least among foreign media in both maritime circles and other circles working for more sustainable shipping.
Hydrogen is a sustainable product that is 100% environmentally friendly. “This will be the first vessel in the world to sail on liquid hydrogen, so we wanted to push the boundaries. This is reflected in the design,” says Torbjørn Bringedal, CEO of LMG Marin and ship designer for the ferry.
“We have emphasized that the look of this ferry should be clean, groundbreakingly clear, timeless, and at the same time have a modern expression,” he continues.
The hydrogen ferry will be adapted for universal design with wide and threshold-free access routes without the use of an elevator. In addition, the ship design has taken into account that the ferry will have clean lanes for easy logistics of vehicles, large common areas for passengers with large windows that will provide a lot of natural light in the salon, and a highly visible hydrogen installation.
The location of the hydrogen installation on the roof is no coincidence. “We considered various technical solutions, but decided that placing the hydrogen tank high up was the best option for both safety and practical reasons,” says Breivik. He adds that the roof construction was also advantageous in terms of bunkering just over three tons of liquid hydrogen every three weeks, and we are also working closely with Norwegian maritime authorities and DNV GL on the handling of the liquid hydrogen.
The hydrogen ferry will be in service on the Hjelmeland link in Rogaland from April 2021, and until then there are still a number of milestones in the project to be decided, including the choice of shipyard to build the vessel.
“Naturally, we are delighted that there has been so much interest in participating in the construction of this new icon, and we are in dialogue with several renowned shipyards in both Norway and abroad. This is one of the largest innovation projects that Norled has had, and we are making thorough assessments. Our ambition is to be able to announce which shipyard will build the hydrogen ferry before Easter starts,” says Breivik.
Building the world’s first hydrogen ferry requires expertise from different environments, and in addition to collaborating with LMG Marin and Westcon Power & Automation, Protech, Ballard Power Systems and Linde Engineering are also key contributors and suppliers to the project.
For more information contact:
Norled: Technical Director Sigvald Breivik on mobile: 990 26 237
LMG marin: General Manager Torbjørn Bringedal on mobile: 913 09 225
