Ferry company orders world's largest hydrogen-fuelled ships, each capable of carrying 120 cars

A Norwegian transport company has placed an order for the world's largest hydrogen-powered ships — a pair of vessels — to service Norway's lengthiest ferry route. Torghatten Nord has inked a deal with Norwegian shipyard Myklebust for the construction of two 117-meter ships, each capable of accommodating up to 120 cars and 599 passengers, slated for delivery in 2026.

These ferries will utilize compressed green hydrogen supplied by local developer GreenH from the coastal town of Bodø on the mainland. Their propulsion will rely on massive 6.4MW fuel cells. The chosen route, spanning from Bodø to the island of Moskenesøya, provides a more economical and expeditious means of travel to the scenic Lofoten Islands, covering 166km by sea in three and a quarter hours, compared to a 644km, ten-and-a-half-hour journey by road, with fares starting at NKr250 ($22.70).

According to Torghatten Nord CEO Marius Hansen, this project stands out globally for its scale and ambition in the maritime hydrogen sector. The collaboration between Norwegian companies, regulatory bodies, and classification society Lloyd's Register aims to establish protocols and safety standards for this novel ferry concept, which entails passenger transportation over significant distances using hydrogen.

The vessels, crafted by the Norwegian Ship Design Company (NSDC), were conceptualized with zero emissions in mind, featuring a multi-hybrid propulsion system with hydrogen-electric as the primary mode and diesel-electric as the secondary mode. NSDC CEO Gjermund Johannessen assures that thorough safety assessments have been conducted to ensure the integrity of the onboard hydrogen system, prioritizing safety akin to modern diesel ferries.