Sembmarine wins Norled electric ferry deal

The company’s first design-and-construction roll on/roll off passenger (ropax) ship project signals a move to deepen its footprint in renewable energy engineering solutions.

“Sembcorp Marine’s project with Norled marks our entry into the ropax ferry design and construction segment,” said Tan Heng Jack head of specialised shipbuilding, Sembmarine.

“It also demonstrates our ambition to be a leading provider of renewable energy-driven solutions.”

Energy efficient

The vessels will be built to a proprietary design from Sembcorp Marine subsidiary LMG Marin, for delivery to Norled AS in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Specially tailored to Norled’s shortsea Hella-Vangsnes-Dragsvik connections in Norway, the 84.2-metre long multi-deck, double-ended ferries will operate normally on zero-emissions battery power at a service speed of 10 knots. When required, they can run on combined battery-diesel hybrid backup modes.

The Norled ropax ferries will use lithium-ion batteries for propulsion, complemented by energy-efficient solutions throughout the vessels’ design and shore-side hydroelectricity recharging points along their service route. This enables the ferries to operate with zero-emissions cost-competitively.

LMG Marin managing director, Torbjorn Bringedal, said the energy-efficient solutions to be installed on the ferries include quick-connection shore charging plugs; auto-mooring; auto-cross; efficient hull, propulsion and heat recovery systems; as well as minimised hotel and auxiliary loads.

Norled is known for launching MF Ampere, the all-electric car ferry, in 2015. The vessel now operates between Lavik and Oppedal in Norway.