It has been barely two months since Norled signed the contract with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to build the world's first hydrogen ferry that will carry cars and passengers in Hjelmeland, the county Rogaland in Norway. Together with ship designer LMG Marin and partner Westcon Power & Automation, Norled has created a ship design that is expected to be world-renowned.

"Our goal is to create a new icon within eco-friendly ferries that follow the" Ampere "electric ferry's iconic value, says technical director at Norled Sigvald Breivik.

- When we know that this ferry will change the story with regard to the use of hydrogen in maritime industry, we want the design to reflect it. We are therefore pleased with that the final design expresses power, innovation and safety,” Breivik says.

The interest for the new, upcoming Norwegian ferry has been great both in Norway and internationally, but not least among foreign media within both maritime environments and other environments that work for more a sustainable shipping industry.

“Hydrogen is a sustainable product that is 100% environmentally friendly. This will be the first vessel in the world to sail on liquid hydrogen so we have had a desire to burst boundaries. This is reflected in the design,” says Torbjørn Bringedal, who is general manager of LMG Marin and ship designer for the ferry.

“We have emphasized that the expression on this ferry should be clean, ground-breaking clear, timeless, and at the same time have a modern expression,” Bringedal continues.

The hydrogen ferry will be adapted to universal design with wide and threshold-free access roads without the use of a lift. In addition, the ship design has taken into account that the ferry gets clean lanes for easy logistics of vehicles, large public areas for passengers with large windows that will provide a lot of natural light in the lounge, and a well-visible hydrogen installation.

“The location of the hydrogen installation on the roof is not random. We have considered various technical solutions, but have come to the conclusion that placing the hydrogen tank high up was the best alternative, both for safety and practical reasons, ”Norled’s technical director Breivik says.

He adds that even in the case of bunkering of just over three tons of liquid hydrogen every three weeks, the construction on the roof was advantageous, and we are also working closely with Norwegian maritime authorities and DNV GL on the handling of the liquid hydrogen.

The hydrogen ferry Ferry will connect the national road 13 between Hjelmeland - Skipavik - Nesvik in Rogaland from 2021. The ferry will have good capacity and can take up to 299 passengers and 80 cars. There are many milestones going forward, including the choice of the yard that will build the vessel.

“We are naturally pleased with that there is a huge interest in being part of the construction of this new icon, and we are in dialogue with several reputable yards in both Norway and abroad. This is one of the biggest innovation projects Norled has had ever, and we do thorough reviews. Our ambition is to be able to announce which yard that will build the hydrogen holiday before Easter starts,” Breivik says.

Building the world's first hydrogen holiday requires expertise from different environments, and in addition to working with LMG Marin and Westcon Power & Automation, the two companies Protech, Ballard Power Systems and Linde Engineering are also key contributors and suppliers to the project.

For more information contact:

Norled: Technical Director Sigvald Breivik on mobile: 990 26 237

LMG Marine: General Manager Torbjørn Bringedal on mobile: 913 09 225