Norwegian and Finnish fleet electrification has begun in Poland. CRIST leads the way
By Marek Grzybowski
Norway is the first country to successfully operate electric-powered ships for 10 years. Other countries are still conducting pilot projects for electric ferries. Before MF Ampere sailed on the Sognefjord, the electric passenger ship Nowa Hanza sailed in Elbląg. Over the past 10 years, electric ships have been built for Norway, Finland and other countries in Poland, which are still performing well in all operating conditions.
Over 20 years ago, a passenger ship with an electric drive sailed on the Elbląg River. The ordering party for its construction was the Municipal Union of Lagoon Municipalities, which received financial support of PLN 400,000 as part of a loan from the Provincial Environmental Protection Fund.
Nowa Hanza was to quietly sail along the “Żuławy Loop”, i.e. the Szkarpawa and the Vistula Lagoon. The simple design and electric drive meant that the vessel was only suitable for short cruises. For those times, the idea of introducing an electric passenger unit onto the routes is worth emphasizing.
Ampere ferry, source: Maritime CleanTech cluster.
MF Ampere – 10 years in service
In Norway, both local and national authorities have taken a methodical approach to the electrification of shipping. Today, Norway has more than 100 electric ferries connecting the Norwegian road system. It is in this country that two world pioneers were designed, built and operated: the world’s first all-electric ferry, MS Ampere, and the first high-speed electric ferry, MS Medstraum. In addition, the ferry company Bastø Fosen operates the world’s largest electric ferry on the busiest commuter route, the Oslofjord.
– A decade ago, the world’s first all-electric ferry started a green revolution along the Norwegian coast. Today, there are 102 electric car ferries and passenger boats operating on 67 routes in Norway. MF Ampere is proof that combining technology and policy cooperation can lead to real change, shaping the future of zero-emission shipping – emphasizes Ada Martine Jakobsen, CEO of the Maritime CleanTech cluster, on social media.
Let us recall that the partially equipped hull of the MF Ampere was built in Gdańsk. The Aluship Technology shipyard created an aluminum structure 80 meters long and 20 meters wide. Aluship made the hull on request of the Norwegian shipyard Fjellstrand Shipyard, which used the ZeroCat 120 design.
MF Ampere is powered by two electric motors, each with a power of 450 kW. The power supply system was developed by Siemens, and the energy is stored in 120 lithium-ion batteries. The ship’s batteries are charged from the quay during loading or unloading of vehicles and passengers. MF Ampere can take 360 passengers and 120 vehicles on board. The electric motor can reach a maximum speed of 12 knots. The ferry is operated by Norled, a shipowner well-known in Polish shipyards. It has ordered ships in Poland with both conventional and hybrid drives.
The Medstraum Ferry – the result of the implementation of the international TrAM project within the PPP framework, source: TrAM Project
Fast ferry for euros and krona
The next step towards decarbonising Norwegian ferry shipping was taken in 2022. That was when the fast passenger ferry (hurtigbåt), MF Medstraum, made its maiden voyage on a multi-stop commuter route between Stavanger and surrounding towns such as Byøyene and Hommersåk. The vessel was expected to reduce emissions in the region by 1,500 tonnes, equivalent to taking 60 buses off the road, said project manager Mikal Dahle from Kolumbus.
Like Ampere, Medstraum was designed and built at Fjellstrand Verft. Like Ampere, Medstraum was named Ship of the Year by the Norwegian maritime magazine Skipsrevyen. The title and award were presented at SMM 2022 in the Norwegian national pavilion.
The express ferry MF Medstraum was built with European Union funds by Norwegians. It was built in cooperation with EU partners as part of the TrAM project, led by Norwegians. It was initiated by the Norwegian maritime cluster Maritime CleanTech. The project involved 14 European partners from Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Great Britain. The effect of cooperation in the production of the innovative vessel was noticed by the European Commission and the TrAM project team was nominated for the European Sustainable Energy Innovation Award for 2023.
Participants of the TrAM project, in the background the fast electric ferry Medstraum, source: TrAM Project
– Medstraum is in fact a European project. We have an international perspective and we are good at cooperation,” said Kjell Arne Nielsen, Special Advisor for Green Shipping at Innovation Norway, in a statement to businessnorway.com.
PPP for electric ferry design and production
As the TrAM project shows, private companies cannot develop green maritime solutions on their own at the moment, at least not now. They need government support to implement pioneering projects. This is because the costs and risks are inherently high.
In the case of the fast electric ferry, the EU and Rogaland County, where Medstraum sails, played a key role in the project’s success.
– We had to put this ferry into operation, so we had to keep the costs and risks to a minimum. EU funding covered about 20% of the construction costs. In addition, Rogaland County made an extraordinary financial commitment. Usually the risk is borne by the shipowner, but here Rogaland took on some of the risk together with the EU. Without this public support we would not have been able to complete the ferry in time, Edmund Tolo, R&D and Sales Manager at Fjellstrand, which designed and built Medstraum, told businessnorway.com.
ZEV Innovation project participants from Norway and Croatia at the CRIST shipyard
CRIST a HUB for electric ships
Let us emphasize that Polish design offices and shipyards that have electric ships in their portfolio can successfully participate in such projects. The innovative potential of the CRIST shipyard from Gdynia was appreciated by the Norwegian and Croatian partners of the ZEV Innovation project – a hub for the production of zero-emission ships.
At the meeting in CRIST, they were able to familiarize themselves with the portfolio of completed projects and orders of the Gdynia shipyard. It was there that a series of electric ferries were built, all of which are currently sailing in Finland.
The first one proved its worth on the route between the ports of Nauvo and Parainen between the islands of the Turku Archipelago. The Electra electric ferry, built in the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia on behalf of FinFerries, sails here. This is the first electric ferry in Finland. The ferries built in CRSIT have parameters similar to MF Ampere and original Polish solutions.
The FinFerries ferry, 90 m long and 16 m wide, can take 375 people and 90 passenger cars on board. The ferry is powered by two 900 kW engines using power from batteries with a capacity of almost 1 MWh. Lighting and other additional equipment is powered by solar panels. In case of emergency situations (ice, strong winds) the captain of the ship can use diesel engines.
Broad engineering competences
The completed orders are to prove that CRIST has unique experience to coordinate the activities of the zero-emission ship production hub. The aforementioned hub was established at the end of October 2021. The CRIST shipyard produces ferries, implementing a model example of the project’s operation, which results in the creation of an innovative product with a high contribution of Polish technical thought, awarded by international experts from the shipbuilding industry.
It was not by accident that CRIST was chosen as the venue for the conference, during which the launch of the HUNs by the BSSC cluster was announced. The Gdynia shipyard belongs to a specific club of plants introducing such innovative ships to the maritime market as hybrid units, offshore wind vessels, or those intended for construction work in coastal areas. A spectacular example here is the construction of the multifunctional NB 100 FLC pontoon for the construction of the longest underwater immersion tunnel in the world, in the Fehmarn Belt.
ZEV Innovation project participants from Norway and Croatia at the CRIST shipyard
The Scandinavian market is introducing zero-emission ships in the service on a large scale and at a rapid pace. Hydrogen-powered ships are being built on the market. Work is underway on ships with ammonia engines. There are hydrogen-powered ships on the market. Not only ferries are needed, but also ships serving wind and oil offshore installations and fish farms. Growing demand is also expected for ecological fishing vessels. In all these categories, the Polish shipbuilding industry has experience and broad competences.
Polish shipyards have the competence to implement innovative projects and participate in commercial production. The Polish shipbuilding industry has good relations with Scandinavian maritime clusters and there is a will to cooperate.
The electrification of maritime transport in Scandinavian countries has gained momentum, and Polish shipyards have the potential to participate in this process. It is worth developing cooperation in the production of zero-emission ships.