Ship & Boat International: eNews June 2020
Wärtsilä has been contracted to design and equip two all-electric, double-ended ferries for Norwegian operator Boreal Sjö. The vessels are currently under construction at Holland Shipyards in the Netherlands, and are scheduled for handover to Boreal in early 2021.
The duo will comprise: a 29.8m x 10.2m ferry, with the capacity for 96 passengers and 10 cars; and a 49.8m x 14.7m vessel, featuring capacity for 146 passengers and 35 cars. Upon entry into service, planned for autumn 2021, the ferries will serve routes linking Launes to Kvellandstrand, and Abelnes to Andabeløy, in Norway's Agder province.
Wärtsilä's supply package for each ferry will include thruster motors, batteries, charging equipment, back-up generators and various electrical systems. Holland Shipyards says: "In between trips, shore power will be used to rapidly recharge the ferries' batteries, allowing day-round operations on electric power." The vessels' back-up generators will also be biodiesel-capable.
