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Hvide Sande Shipyard to build a 4 MWh electric ferry for Norway’s largest privately owned ferry company


11.06.2024
News

Hvide Sande Shipyard is both proud and humbled to have received the order for the yard’s 20th passenger vessel – a 100% electric ferry and the yard’s largest to date – for the Norwegian ferry company Torghatten.

With more than 125 years of experience, it is an experienced company that Hvide Sande Shipyard is pleased to be working with to build a new 50-meter all-electric ferry. “Torghatten is a very qualified customer, and this has been evident throughout the process. They know exactly what they want and what they do not want. It is a great advantage for a project like this that both parties know what is required,” says Carl Erik Kristensen, CEO of Seasight Group. “We look forward to working together and delivering a good quality vessel to Torghatten on time.”

The ferry will have a capacity of 30 cars and up to 149 passengers and will operate in the Tromsø area north of the Arctic Circle. The project is already well underway and the hull is expected to be delivered to Hvide Sande in the summer of 2025 so that outfitting can begin.

Familiar technology, but on a larger scale

This is not the first time that Hvide Sande Shipyard has built an electric ferry. The technology is therefore well known and there has been good experience with similar ferries, one of which was built for Torghatten’s sister company Molslinjen.

“The difference lies in the fact that the upcoming construction involves a battery pack of almost 4 megawatt hours, which is about four times larger than what we have built so far. We are therefore looking forward to applying our experience with the basic concept on a larger scale,” says the yard’s COO, Jeppe Hoff.

Torghatten is also excited about the collaboration: “It is important to develop and strengthen competence in new and environmentally friendly ship technology in Scandinavia. We are therefore very pleased to have landed this contract with a Danish shipyard,” says Marius Hansen, CEO of Torghatten Nord.

Green transition through alternative fuels – electric, hybrid, hydrogen and methanol

Alternative fuels have long been part of the strategy at the Danish Shipyard. In fact, Hvide Sande Shipyard already has 9 new builds with either fully electric or hybrid solutions in the engine room.

“It means a lot to us to be part of the green transition in shipping and we are happy to be able to use our experience from our previous projects for the further transition of ferry operations in Northern Europe,” says Jeppe Hoff.

Although electricity is still the most used alternative fuel in shipping, Hvide Sande is also working with other solutions. Two projects are currently underway to convert vessels to hydrogen and methanol propulsion, respectively.

Ship building since 1950

Hvide Sande Shipyard was established in 1950 with a focus on new building, maintenance and repair of local fishing vessels. Since 1990, the yard has also built ferries and workboats, and for the past 12 years, the green transition in shipping has been an important part of the activities. The new ferry for Torghatten will be Hvide Sande Shipyard’s newbuilding number 158.

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