Brunvoll forges partnership with Torghatten Nord on new hybrid ferry for Lofoten route

Powering a new chapter in sustainable maritime travel, Norwegian company Brunvoll has joined forces with compatriot transport company Torghatten Nord to equip a new hybrid ferry with an ‘advanced’ propulsion and autonomy system.

The ferry, expected to enter service in 2026, will operate between the towns of Svolvær and Skutvik on the Lofoten archipelago, Norway, improving both capacity and sustainability on this crucial route.

As per a statement from Brunvoll, the 73.3-meter ferry, designed to carry 50 cars and 199 passengers, will feature a 3600 kWh battery system. It will run on electric power between Svolvær and Skrova and then switch to a hybrid mode during the busier summer months in Skutvik, which is expected to result in a drastic reduction in NOx and CO2 emissions along the route.

“Our goal is to build a hybrid vessel that operates electrically over shorter distances and in hybrid mode over longer routes, contributing to lower emissions across our operations,” Eirik Olsen, Operational Director at Torghatten Nord, emphasized.

The hybrid ferry—which will be constructed by Lithuanian shipyard Western Baltija Shipbuilding and designed by The Norwegian Ship Design Company—will be equipped with Brunvoll’s suite of ‘high-tech’ systems.

These include two pulling azimuth thrusters for improved propulsion, Auto-Crossing system for automated route management, remote Condition Monitoring System to track performance, and the BruCon PTC control system.

This system would link the bridge directly to the propulsion components. As a result, these solutions would aim to deliver an ‘efficient and sustainable’ voyage on every trip.

For Torghatten Nord, the hybrid ferry represents one stride in a series of leaps made within sustainable shipbuilding. Just last month, in August 2024, the company celebrated the commencement of the construction of what has been said to be the world’s largest hydrogen-powered ferries.

The first steel-cutting took place at the Cemre Shipyard in Türkiye and Torghatten Nord highlighted that the ferries would operate on green hydrogen at least 85% of the time at an average speed of 17 knots.

On the other hand, in April 2024, Brunvoll was selected by the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply the main propulsion for Orient Express Silenseas’s latest hydrogen-ready, wind-powered cruise vessels which would be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The first vessel, the OE Corinthian, is slated for delivery in 2026.