Norled orders onshore charging stations for battery-hybrid ferries

Norwegian shipping company Norled has contracted HAV Group’s energy design and smart control systems business, Norwegian Electric Systems (NES), to deliver three onshore charging stations for its battery-hybrid ferries at three ports in northern Norway.

The contract is worth approximately NOK 40 million (around $3.8 million) and includes delivery of three complete onshore charging stations, including transformers, switchboards, control systems, and data collection systems, plus the charging plug that connects the charging stations to the vessels.

NES said it would deliver a ready-made e-house with a connection to the onshore power grid.

The charging stations are scheduled to be delivered towards the end of 2026 and will be installed at ports of Stokkvågen, Lovund, and Træna to serve Norled’s newbuild battery-hybrid ferries and one conventional ferry from 2027 onwards.

The vessels will operate the Stokkvågen-Lovund and Stokkvågen-Træna ferry routes.

To remind, Norled has four 84.5-meter-long battery-hybrid ferries under construction at Tersan Leirvik shipyard.

In May last year, NES was awarded a NOK 200 million ($19.18 million) contract by Tersan Leirvik to provide equipment deliveries to the ferries, including a power solution, a battery pack, and a navigation system. Brunvoll will supply azimuth propulsion thrusters and thruster control systems.

The vessels were designed by LMG Marin, and with a battery capacity of 8,000 kWh, they are expected to boast “the largest battery capacity of any ferry in Norway to date”. 

“We look forward to the delivery of the charging stations from NES, which is essential for operating the hybrid-electric ferries which will cut emissions with up to 80 percent,” said Steffan Lindsø, CTO at Norled.

Mads Ulstein, Senior Vice President of Sales at NES, added: “With the delivery of these three charging stations, we will have built up a solid track record of 30 onshore charging stations. We are very pleased that Norled has opted for our MCS solution, which is a manual, quick and cost-efficient method for connecting high charging effects. Quick charging is ideal for passenger and transport ferries such as these.”