World's first electric car ferry planned
The world's first electrically powered car ferry will begin operations in Norway in 2015, according to Siemens, which developed the vessel together with Norwegian shipyard Fjellstrand AS, Ship & Bunker reports.
The vessel, which will serve the route between Lavik and Oppedal, will be 80 meters long and able to carry 120 cars and 360 people.
The ship's batteries will be recharged in breaks between crossings, and the process will require only 10 minutes.
The ship, which was developed as part of a contest run by Norway's Ministry of Transportation, will replace an existing ferry that uses 1 million liters of diesel per year and emits 570 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide and 12 metric tonnes of nitrogen oxides.
As the winner of the Norway competition, the shipping company Norled has been given the license to operate the ferry route until 2025.
A number of ferry operators have begun experimenting with alternative power as a way to reduce fuel costs and emissions, including a zero-emissions ferry that Germanischer Lloyd SE (GL) subsidiary FutureShip GmbH has developed for use in the Baltic, and a number of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ferries being planned for use in Canada, Spain and elsewhere.
