‘World’s first’ remotely operated electric ferry wraps up trial in Sweden

MF Estelle, the ‘world’s first’ autonomous electric ferry, has completed its journey between two major islands in central Stockholm, demonstrating the potential for unmanned, sustainable transport, the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden has unveiled.

Designed and built by Norway’s ferry builder Brødrene Aa, MF Estelle was launched in June 2023, since when it has been fully-operational.

During a recent trial, the ferry was operated remotely from Trondheim, Norway—600 kilometers away from Stockholm. The demonstration was reportedly performed from the island of Kungsholmen, where the Stockholm city hall is located, across Lake Mälaren to Stockholm’s biggest island, Södermalm.

“We wanted to test whether the ferry could cross a large bay in central Stockholm and dock on the other side all by itself, after just a push of a button 600 kilometers away in Norway. The trial was the first ever of its kind and showed that it is possible. In this way, we can learn together and create a market for smart ships,” Håkan Burden, senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, remarked.

The 12-meter-long MF Estelle—owned by Norway’s transportation company Torghatten Midt—is described as a vessel built with ‘sustainability at its core.’

The ferry is a catamaran, meaning it is ‘energy efficient by design’. It was engineered in carbon fiber at Brødrene Aa’s main shipyard in Hyen, on the west coast of Norway, which helps it reduce its weight and thus optimize energy usage.

Furthermore, it was fitted with an autonomous navigation system that was developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and a propulsion system driven by electricity supplied via onboard solar panels.

In the beginning, it is said that there will be an operator on board MF Estelle, but over time, there are plans to ensure the ferry will be completely self-driving and monitored from land. A radar, lidar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, AI, and GPS were installed in the ferry to help it navigate through the water by scanning the environment.

Norway’s ferry operator Torgatten along with compatriot autonomous solutions supplier Zeabuz are said to be behind the mobility concept in Stockholm—a city that has long been pushing for new autonomous solutions within its infrastructure—behind ‘Zeam’ (which stands for ‘zero emission autonomous solution’), and the 5G- and IoT-powered MF Estelle.

“We aim to change the way we think about mobility by creating shortcuts in cities, utilizing urban waterways as virtual bridges. Our collaboration with Torghatten seeks to connect communities affordably and sustainably, not only in Stockholm but in the large number of cities with navigable waters worldwide,” commented Erik Dyrkoren, CEO of Zeabuz.

As disclosed, at present, remote monitoring of MF Estelle is a one-way communication—from the ferry to the company. However, there are plans to enable two-way communication, for which 5G would be ‘vital’. To this end, Zeabuz revealed that the company would work with the Swedish mobile network provider Tele2.

According to a statement from the company, Zeabuz has been running a mobility research project since early 2023, and has been an active participant of the Boatplan Stockholm iniative that aims to convert all ferry traffic in the city archipelago to ‘100% emission-free operation’, with electricity or hydrogen as fuel.

In August 2024, neighboring Norway expressed interest in autonomous vessels, too. Specifically, the country’s Haugesund municipality signed a letter of intent late that month with Zeabuz, Torghatten and zero-emission solutions supplier SEAM for an emissions-free autonomous city boat. The plan is to initiate the boat’s route and test the technology starting in the autumn of 2025.

Zeabuz has also worked together with Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency), which was responsible for the final approval of the autonomous technology behind MF Estelle.

Moreover, together with Torghatten, the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Norway’s classification society DNV, the Ports of Stockholm, and sustainable urban waterway transport company Vattenbussen, Zeabuz is part of the Policy Lab Urban Zjöfart (PLUZ) project, financed by the Swedish Transport Administration’s maritime portfolio.

RISE has highlighted that this project has the goal of contributing to international policy work within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The results of the project are hoped to pave the way for new conditions for eco-friendly mobility (and automation) services.

Now that MF Estelle is up and sailing, the team behind the electric ferry is looking into broader applications of autonomous technology. Reflecting on the 18-ton ferry’s maiden voyage, Brødrene Aa has stated that the development and production of MF Estelle was ‘a journey of great learning.’

“Cooperations like these keeps us staying one step ahead when it comes to technological innovations. Hopefully it can show prospective partners how the future on seas could look like,” Brødrene Aa concluded.