Fjord1 orders seven more battery powered ferries

MARCH 5, 2018 — Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 has signed contracts with Havyard Group for the design of seven battery-powered ferries, five of which will be built at the company’s own shipyard in Leirvik, Sogn, Norway.and two at Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard.

The Sævik family is the majority shareholder in both Havyard Group and Fjord1. However, several shipbuilders both in Norway and abroad competed for the contracts, and Havyard Sales Director Lars Conradi Andersen was happy to win the order to build five of the ferries at the company’s own yard.

“The competition for these assignments was tough, and we get nothing without a fight,” he says. “The combination of product, delivery time and price was what won us the contract this time and we look forward to continuing our cooperation with Fjord1.”

All the ferries must meet stringent requirements for low energy consumption during tough weather conditions, and the Havyard design department has placed high importance on this indevelopment of these designs

“We have ‘put the ferries in operation’ by using advanced simulation tools, this way we could optimize them to the utmost,” says Stig Magne Espeseth head of Havyard Design & Solutions. “Various operating profiles have been tested and reviewed, and we have achieved results that have made Fjord 1 choose us as contractor for designs

The ferries will be used by Fjord1 to operate ferry services in Hordaland and Møre og Romsdal, starting on January 1, 2020. The Norwegian authorities have demanded zero-emission technology solutions as part of the effort to reduce emissions from the ferry fleet, which has taken Norway to the forefront of developments in the field.

CEO of Fjord1, Dagfinn Neteland, says that these contracts confirm Fjord1’s leading role in the green shift on the Norwegian fjords.

“We continue to set new standards, and are pleased to be able to make local procurements in the form of Norwegian designs and ferries built in Norway, while also taking a leading role in the green revolution.” says Neteland.

The five ferries to be built in Norway will carry up to 50 cars each and the two to be built in Turkey will carry up to 80 cars each.

The Havyard ferries will be delivered in autumn 2019, and the total contract value is approximately NOK 800 million.