(Stroms / Norway) – Norway's longest ferry route will be operated with two hydrogen ships from 2025. The Norwegian shipping company Torghatten Nord SA has commissioned the Norwegian Ship Design Company with the design, the fuel cell system is being supplied by the Swedish Power Cell A/B, and the control and drive technology is being developed by SEAM A/S.
The new ferries will travel emission-free across the Vestfjord between Lofoten and Bodø. © Power Cell
Delivery is planned for the fourth quarter of 2024 and commissioning for the following year. The investments are estimated at 19,2 million euros. The Norwegian government has made it a requirement that the new ferries across the Vestfjord between the Lofoten and Bodø have to be emission-free, according to a statement from Power Cell. They will also be powered by hydrogen to cover distances of up to four hours. The capacity of each ship is 599 passengers, 120 cars and 12 trucks.
Saving of 26.500 tons of CO2 per year
Power Cell will supply its “Marine System 200” with an output of 13 megawatts for power generation. No further technical details were given. The use of green hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions by 26.500 tons per year, which, according to the operator, is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of 13.000 diesel vehicles.
“Norway has been a pioneer in the adoption of LNG in shipping and is now taking an important step in establishing green hydrogen as an energy source to reduce carbon emissions in commercial shipping operations,” says Richard Berkling, CEO of Power Cell. There are more than 800 ferry lines in Norway alone, and ferries are “a segment in which we can expect great interest in hydrogen-electric solutions.”
Power Cell Sweden AB manufactures fuel cell systems for stationary and mobile applications. The company was founded in 2008 as a spin-out from the Volvo Group. SEAM AS develops low and zero-emission technologies for shipping and the maritime industry. The company was founded in 1988 as a continuation of ABB Marine in Ølensvåg, Norway, and through the acquisition of UniAutomation in 2004. In 2021, Longship Fund II took over the company.
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Design: Torghatten Nord commissioned the Norwegian Ship Design Company with the design. © Norwegian Ship Design Company
