Norled selects Sembcorp Marine to build three hybrid RoPax ferries

Norwegian shipping company Norled has placed an order with Sembcorp Marine for the design and construction of three identical hybrid plug-in roll-on / roll-off (RoPax) passenger ferries.

Sembcorp Marine subsidiary LMG Marin will design the vessels, which will be specially tailored to cover Norled’s shortsea Hella-Vangsnes-Dragsvik route in Norway.

Sembcorp Marine Specialised Shipbuilding head Tan Heng Jack said: “Sembcorp Marine’s project with Norled marks our entry into the RoPax ferry design and construction segment.

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

Each of the new 84.2m-long multi-deck, double-ended vessels will be able to accommodate up to 300 passengers and crew members. It will be able to carry 80 cars or a combination of ten cars and ten trailer trucks.

The vessels will feature quick-connection shore-charging plugs, auto-mooring, auto-cross, efficient hull, propulsion and heat recovery systems. They will also include minimised hotel and auxiliary loads solutions for energy-efficient operations.

The vessels will be able to conduct zero-emission operations using lithium-ion batteries at a service speed of 10k. The ferries can use combined battery-diesel hybrid backup modes to operate, if required.

Deliveries of the ferries are scheduled to take place in the last quarter of 2020.

Norled chief technology officer Sigvald Breivik said: “Ship design, passenger comfort, and working conditions for personnel were key considerations when we awarded the project to Sembcorp Marine.

“We were particularly happy to share with this partner a common understanding of Norled’s ambition to build innovative new vessels equipped with zero-emissions technology, as part of our focus on reducing emissions.”

In 2015, Norled launched the world’s first all-electric car ferry, MF Ampere, which currently runs between Lavik and Oppedal in Norway.