Norwegian ship yard Fjellstrand AS has signed a contract with Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 for the building of a new ZeroCatTM electric ferry for 120 cars. The new ferry is a further development of the MF Ampere and will be equipped for higher speed and longer range.
The full [ds_preview]electrical ferry has been developed by Fjellstrand. The company was also responsible for building the car ferry »Ampere« which wrote history in 2015 as the world’s first full electrical ferry. The yard had a central position in the introduction of new battery technology in the ferry market.
The new ferry is a further development of the »Ampere« and will be equipped for higher speed and longer range. »›MF Ampere‹ has been in service for two years now and has sailed a distance equivalent to four times around the equator. This has given us valuable experience for the further development of zero emission technology for ferries and other vessel types«, says Edmund Tolo, Sales Manager in Fjellstrand.
The electrical ferry will have a length of 87,5 m and a beam of 20,8 m and will have capacity for 120 cars, 12 trucks and 296 passengers. To achieve the lowest possible energy consumption the vessel will be built in aluminium with a catamaran hull. As an aluminium vessel it will be approximately 60 % lighter than ships built in steel. The battery packs and charging stations can therefore be smaller and more effective.
Fully electric operation with bio-diesel backup
According to Fjellstrand the ship systems in the new ferry has been optimised for high energy efficiency. In addition to the battery systems bio-diesel generators will be installed, allowing the ferry to be operated directly by these or in hybrid mode via the batteries. The ferry will operate the crossing fully electric. In addition to the battery systems bio-diesel generators will be installed as back up when charging is not available.
»Zero emission and low energy consumption are key elements valued in this tender and this ferry makes it possible to run even longer ferry crossings solely on batteries. We are very pleased that Fjord1 has placed this order with Fjellstrand and see it as see this as a vote of confidence for the development Fjellstrand has conducted within the development of the environmental ferries of the future,« says Tolo.
Fjellstrand is a member of the cluster organization NCE Maritime CleanTech, a cluster for clean maritime solutions. The new vessel will be presented in detail at the NCE Maritime CleanTech stand A01-32 at Nor-Shipping on Tuesday May 30. Delivery of the ferry is scheduled for Q4 2018. It will operate the crossing between Halhjem and Vaage on the west coast of Norway.
