Norled picks Westcon to build hydrogen powered car ferry
Written by Nick Blenkey
Ferries are being built to an LMG Marin design
Green ferry pioneer Norled has commissioned the Westcon shipyard in Ølen, Norway, to build two new ferries — one of which will be the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered car ferry, while the other will be an all electric, battery powered vessel.
The ferries will each have a capacity of 299 passengers and 80 cars and are being built to a design by Bergen, Norway, headquartered LMG Marin, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine.
“We believe that this construction project will contribute to the Norwegian maritime sector as a whole being at the forefront of hydrogen-powered ferries,” says Norled technical director Sigvald Breivik.
The ferries will each have a capacity of 299 passengers and 80 cars. They are set to start operating in 2021 under a Norwegian Public Roads Administration contract linking Hjelmeland – Skipavik – Nesvik,
Construction of the hydrogen powered ferry is being supported by the EU’s FLAGSHIPS innovation project in tandem with a project that will see France’s Compagnie Fluviale de Transport build a hydrogen powered inland waterways pushboat (see earlier story).
Categories: Ferries, News, Technology
