After a lengthy design and development process, the world’s two largest ships are finally under construction in Norway as part of a project to connect the country’s longest ferry route.
Norwegian Ship Design recently announced that Myklebust Shipyard has been awarded the contract to build ships, which will each be 117 meters (approximately 384 feet) in length and carry 120 cars along with 599 passengers.
Most Read on IEN:
- Tesla Wants Shareholders to Reinstate $56 Billion Pay Package for Musk
- Major Auto Supplier Faces Fine After Fatal Crushing Accident
- Hyundai to Test New Humanoid Robot from Boston Dynamics
- BAE to Modernize WWII-Era Ammunition Plant
The design firm said the ferries will operate in the outer Vestfjorden in Lofoten, which it called one of the longest and most challenging ferry routes in Norway. That means the ships will feature closed car decks and a special hull design for safer operation in exposed waters.
Along with being the world's largest hydrogen-powered vessels, the ferries will also carry the largest hydrogen installation ever installed on a ship. Each ship will have 6400 kW of fuel cells of compressed hydrogen. They’re intended to be 100% zero-emission but they’ll rely on a multi-hybrid propulsion system with hydrogen-electric as the primary mode and diesel-electric as the secondary mode.
"Extensive safety analyses have been conducted for the onboard hydrogen system to ensure that the ferries are as safe as modern diesel ferries," said Norwegian Ship Design CEO Gjermund Johannessen in a statement. "Extensive model tests of the new hull design have also been conducted to ensure low energy consumption and good roll damping in the rough sea area that is the outer Vestfjorden."
Myklebust said it expects to deliver the completed ferries in 2026.
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
