Before Christmas, Norled placed an order for three identical battery-electric ferries with capacity for 60 passenger cars and 250 passengers. Norled confirmed the option for a fourth one.
Havyard Leirvik is building the ferries for the Stokkvågen-Lovund-Træna connection for Nordland fylkeskommune. They will be ready as from 2027.
Norled won the tender for the ferry connections Stokkvågen-Lovund and Stokkvågen-Træna after delivering a concept that cuts emissions by up to 90%.
Three new battery-hybrid ferries will enter the connection in 2027.
The three new buildings that will join the connection will all have capacity for 60 passenger cars and 250 passengers including crew.
The battery capacity for each of the ferries is approximately 8,000 kWh, making them the ferries with the largest battery capacity in Norway.
Norled has entered into a letter of intent with the shipyard Havyard for the construction of three of the battery ferries and also has an option for a fourth vessel.
LMG Marine has designed the ferries.
The new Utsira ferry will be operated by Norled.
An island right out in the open ocean, Utsira is one of Norway’s smallest municipalities in terms of population size. There is only one ferry connection: from Haugesund (a town between Bergen and Stavanger).
The contract is for 20 years with an option for an additional 10 years (5+5).
Breeze Ship Design in Leirvik will design the new Utsira ferry. The new double-ender ferry will be fully electric and designed to accommodate 179 passengers and 29 cars.
The new contract will commence on May 1, 2025.
Norwegian ferry and express boat operator Norled, Remota AS and Seam AS have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on the further development and operation of a control center for marine operations and autonomous operations of ships.
Remota is a joint venture between DeepOcean, Solstad Offshore and Østensjø Group, set up to fast-track the adoption of remotely managed services in order to drive down operating costs and emissions for the marine and offshore industries.
Seam is a leading supplier of zero-emission solutions to the maritime industry.
The three companies intend to build on Remota’s already established control center for marine and semi-autonomous vessel operations, and further develop this to include control of autonomous operations.
Through a joint control center environment, the parties want to share experiences, collaborate on technological solutions, promote standardization and utilize cross-functional synergies that benefit Norled and its customers, Remota and Seam.
Norled has been handed over the hybrid battery-electric vessel from Oma Baatbyggeri. The vessel will mainly run on batteries when it comes into service in Sogn next year.
FREY is one of three new low-emission vessels that will operate in the Florø basin from 1 May 2024. The vessel has a modern and universal design with a large saloon and large window surfaces. It has room for 72 passengers, as well as 7 passenger cars or a 40-tonne wagon train. The 30-metre-long vessel also has a hold and a crane.
The vessel is based on Oma‘s combi-catamaran concept, but unlike previous vessels, MS “Frey” is supplied with a hybrid battery-electric propulsion system. This means that the boat can run with zero emissions of CO2 and 100% electric operation in most of the routes that they will operate in Sogn.
In May, the sister vessel will be delivered. This is also to be included in the route in Sogn. These are two of three vessels being built for Sogn route package 2 that Norled won in 2021.
Before FREY goes into service in Florø, the vessel will go for a period on the Lysefjord route in Rogaland.
NORLED also signed a contract with OMA for a new ferry.
Source: Norled
Sembcorp Marine delivered LEIKANGER, the last of three fully battery-operated ferries for Norled. The vessel is on its way to Europe onboard a Rolldock heavy lift vessel.
Sisters HELLA and DRAGSVIK were delivered in March and July 2022.
The ferries run on lithium-ion batteries charged by hydro-electric energy power. The vessels can also operate in hybrid mode using combined battery-diesel power as an alternative.
The zero-emission vessels are based on a proprietary design developed by Sembcorp Marine’s wholly-owned subsidiary, LMG Marin AS.
On 14 October 2022, Norled AS won the contracts for:
Contract lasts until 24 April 2030.
SHIFT will provide the new battery exchange solution.
CapMan Infra and CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM), which each acquired a 50% stake in Norled AS in 2019, have now entered into an agreement for CBRE IM to acquire the entire stake managed by CapMan.
The exit is the first from the CapMan Nordic Infrastructure I fund.
CBRE IM is making the investment on behalf of a fund it sponsors as well as some of its separately managed accounts.
Norled’s current management team, led by CEO Heidi Wolden, will continue to run the day-to-day operations.
Norled won the high-speed ferry contract for the routes between Bodø and Væran, as well as Bodø and Gildeskål, Norway.
Nordland Fylkeskommune awarded Norled a 10-year contract for operation of the high-speed routes starting in January 2024. There is also an option to operate the route between Bodø and Myken during the summer months.
Norled will operate two main vessels and a reserve vessel. The vessels will operate on electricity for 70% of the time.
The vessels, to be built by Brødrene Aa, will accommodate 130 passengers, as well as luggage, bicycles, and kayaks.
