The waters in northern Norway’s Lofoten archipelago are about to get greener, with local ferry operator Moskenes Shipping having taken delivery of an all-electric passenger catamaran. The newbuild was ordered to support Lofoten’s ‘Green Islands’ programme, a joint private-/public-sector initiative promoting the rollout of zero- and low-emission solutions across the islands, both at sea and on land.
The new delivery, BRIT, measures 19.7m x 6.8m and was constructed domestically by Maritime Partner, constituting the boatbuilder’s first all-electric catamaran to date. Designed by naval architect and engineer Ola Lilloe-Olsen of Enviroinventions, BRIT also marks the first entry in the Alusafe CAT 18 EL class. ABB supplied the ferry’s twin air-cooled electric motors, fed by a 524kW-capacity battery pack, enabling a transit speed of 12knots.
Maritime Partner opted to build the vessel in aluminium “as an environmentally friendly alternative that, when recycled, requires very little energy to be resurrected as a full-fledged material for new applications”, the company says. The ferry’s rudder and fixed propellers were supplied by West Mekan, while Sleipner provided the Sidepower thruster. BRIT was built in accordance with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate’s rules for passenger ships, and Navigation Area 4 rules for vessels smaller than 24m in length, encompassing the ferry’s design, safety equipment and navcom systems.
The ferry’s main salon can be accessed from both the fore and aft decks, and the lounge can seat up to 75 passengers. Additional lounge spaces were created for wheelchair users, and the decks are linked by a wheelchair lift. The builder says: “Several seats are arranged with tables, which makes the boat suitable for both sightseeing and transporting tourists. There are large window surfaces that contribute to a bright and light interior with a good view. In addition, the boat has plenty of space for luggage and a dog cage on the aft deck.” Moskenes has now deployed the boat on a route linking Reine to Rostad, Kirkefjord and Vinstad, arranged as part of a 10-year contract with Nordland County Municipality.
SF Bay Ferry’s electric ferry fleet will be the first of its kind in the US
Meanwhile, in California, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), operator of the SF Bay Ferry service, is hoping to launch the first of its forthcoming fleet of battery-electric high-speed ferries in 2026. The new vessels, reportedly the first of their kind in the US, are part of WETA’s US$16 million Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) ferry programme. The next step will be to put the ferries, designed by Californian naval architect Aurora Marine Design, out to tender among US shipbuilders.
At the time of writing, five ferries are planned, including: a pair of 400-pax vessels, scheduled to operate on existing routes in Oakland and Alameda; and three 150-pax vessels, which will link beachfront neighbourhoods across the city, including Mission Bay. The ferries will be accompanied by the installation of four electric charger floats, to be stationed at the Downtown San Francisco, Alameda Seaplane and Main Street Alameda ferry terminals.
WETA has appointed Swedish maritime battery specialist Echandia to supply the batteries to the selected shipbuilder in Q2 2025. The contract follows Echandia’s July announcement that it intends to open a production facility in Marysville, Washington, to ensure that the zero-emission ferries “are powered by US-made batteries and are Free Trade Agreement [FTA]-compliant” – all part of meeting the country’s Buy America requirements, which demand that a certain percentage of the product’s components are manufactured domestically.
SF Bay Ferry tells Ship & Boat International that the final technical specs for the ferries will be based on the selected bidders’ proposals, but that the 150-pax versions are expected to measure approximately 30m x 10m, while the 400-pax vessels will be no longer than 44m with a beam of 10m and a draught of roughly 2m. “The exact ranges are yet to be determined, but the vessels will serve routes up to approximately 7nm,” SF Bay Ferry says.
