As part of the EU-funded TrAM project, Wärtsilä and partners have delivered a zero-emission fully electric fast ferry that operates on a commuter route in Norway.
This ferry not only serves passengers between Stavanger and Hommersåk without releasing emissions to air or sea, it also demonstrates that fully electric passenger fast ferries are a viable concept with great promise.
The TrAM project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon2020 Research and Innovation programme and facilitated by the Norwegian cluster organisation Maritime Clean Tech, aims to create a zero-emission fast ferry concept through advanced modular production.
It is expected that modular manufacturing methods will reduce production costs by 25% and engineering costs by 70%. The first vessel resulting from the project, the MS Medstraum, is now fully operational.
MS Medstraum operates all day, every day on a multi-stop commuter route and is capable of carrying 147 passengers at a typical cruising speed of 23 knots. Though the route between Stavanger and Hommersåk is fixed, there are 12 potential stops along the way depending on whether any passengers are waiting, so the actual route can vary considerably.
Standardising the charging system will be crucial if electric vessels are to be developed on a broader scale – there are too many dedicated charging concepts on the market today which is a barrier for charging different vessel types
explains Frode Jenset, Technical Specialist at Wärtsilä.
One of the key goals of the TrAM project is to support a modular, scalable approach to building vessels. For that reason, the project is developing a toolkit of methods and software for use when designing and constructing inshore vessels.
The idea is to combine modular production with ship design and construction methods, making it possible to reuse designs and components while customising each vessel as necessary.
Another key goal of the project is to support a modular, scalable approach to building vessels that makes it possible to reuse designs and components while customising as necessary.
