Shipowner Torghatten has decided to launch the construction of two 117 m-long hydrogen-powered ferries, which will carry up to 120 cars on Norway’s longest route between Bodø and the Lofoten Islands.

“There are no other maritime hydrogen projects on an international scale that come close to the scale and ambitions of ours,” says Marius Hansen, the Managing Director of Torghatten Nord. The project will be 100% Norwegian, from ship design (by The Norwegian Ship Design Company, technology integrator SEAM, Myklebust shipyard) to hydrogen production (Green H). Delivery of the ferries is scheduled for 2026.

All the industry players involved in this project are also working closely with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate and Lloyd’s Register to develop safety procedures and standards. Nick Brown, Lloyd’s Register CEO, said: “These flagship hydrogen-powered ferries represent a significant milestone for Norway as it furthers its continuing commitment to clean hydrogen infrastructure.  We see significant interest in green hydrogen as a maritime fuel especially for short-sea shipping.”

Hydrogen-powered passenger transport over such a long (278 km) and demanding distance has never been achieved anywhere else in the world. The design and technical solutions must take into account all safety aspects for the ferries, which operate in waters exposed to bad weather. It should be noted that these ships will operate 85% of the time on green hydrogen, with a back-up propulsion system using… biodiesel.

To stay up to date with the latest hydrogen-related news and events in Norway click here

Are you a LinkedIn user who would like to follow the latest hydrogen news on a more regular basis? Then our LinkedIn weekly newsletter may be what you’re looking for. You can subscribe to it here. 

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili