Zero emissions ferries in Norway

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration plans to have all ferries run on pure electric propulsion by 2030. In Norway, this is called the Ferry (R)evolution. By 2022, there will be so many electric ferries operating in Norway that the annual emission cut will be equal to that of 150,000 cars.

Fjord1 new electric ferries, design and concept Havyard
Illustration: Havyard Design & Solutions © 2020

The Ferry (R)evolution

The zero emissions ferries project started back in 2014, with initiatives from the government. In 2015 the first emission-free electric ferry MF Ampere, operated by Norled, began operating between Larvik and Oppedal, a 5.6km route in Norway’s scenic Sognefjord.

Since then, additional zero emissions ferries have been ordered and many of them are already in operation. The zero emissions ferries are running either on combination of Electric Power and LNG, or pure electric propulsion. When all the infrastructure is in place, including an automated charging system, the goal is that even the hybrid ferries will operate mostly on pure electric propulsion.

Norwegian fleet – carbon neutral by 2050

On top of this ambitious goal, Norwegian shipowners are committing to an ambitious plan for the entire Norwegian fleet to be carbon neutral by 2050.
The commitment, made under the umbrella of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, is a multi-tiered strategy consistent with Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The commitment comprises four specific goals: 

  • Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per transported unit by 2030, compared to 2008
  • Only ordering vessels with zero emissions from 2030
  • Achieving climate neutrality by 2050
  • An international ban from 2050 on fuels that are not climate neutral.

Smarter – Safer – Greener


There has been a shift in the maritime and energy industry for more than a decade now, where adaptation of smarter, safer and greener technology has been pushing its way forward, maintaining momentum year after year.

As a manufacturer and system integrator in this industry, Zenitel also must focus on this technological shift. Ten years ago, it was much more common to get requests for only part of systems. Today our customers are requesting much more complex and interconnected solutions. Meanwhile, we have been scaling towards this approach over the last 10 years, making sure we can deliver full-scale solutions – connecting critical communication systems with other safety systems as well as adapting more technology such as IPTV, broadcast, CCTV, and full radio integration, as well as meeting new demands such as Safe Return to Port compliant solutions and Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) solutions.

Although IP Technology is the standard in onshore industries, there are still many vessels with two-wire analog systems installed. This is also why we are developing technology to upgrade analog systems to IP on the existing two-wire cabling, such as our own Flowire system. Flowire can provide both IP network and power over two-wire cables so that you can install any of our up-to-date PoE powered IP communication devices without costly re-cabling. One of our core strengths in the Maritime & Energy industry is the possibility of combining traditional and modern technology, not only IP, but also wireless and 4/5G connection, which will become more prevalent going forward. 

At Zenitel, we truly embrace the future: the nice-to-haves of 10 years ago are today’s must-haves, so we keep our finger on the pulse of the industry. Therefore, the Smarter – Safer – Greener mantra remains an essential part of our own technology outlook. 

Zero emissions ferries with Zenitel Technology

Industry trust in our technology is demonstrated by our presence on modern Hybrid Electric or Pure Electric vessels. Below are some of the ferries that have our technology installed and either are in operation today or will be delivered during the next 12 months.

Fjord1

  • MF Fedfjebjørn 
  • MF Bømlafjord
  • MF Møringen
  • MF Smøla
  • MF Stangvikfjord

All Fjord1 ferries are electric ferries with a capacity of 50 cars and 159 passengers. The hulls are built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey, with design and technology by Havyard Design & Solutions.

Torghatten Nord

  • MF Huftarøy
  • MF Samnøy
  • MF Flatøy
  • MF Færøy
  • MF Lysøy

All Torghatten Nord ferries are Hybrid Electric using LNG and Battery for propulsion. The Hulls are built at Vard Shipyard in Romania and Tersan shipyard in Turkey. They are all follow the Vard MM125FD design, with 134-meter length and a capacity of 180 cars and 550 passengers.