Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A., part of the Remontowa Holding S.A. capital group, has signed a contract with one of the largest ferry operators in Norway – Torghatten Nord AS – to construct a hybrid-powered passenger-car ferry.
The shipyard will build a fully equipped, state-of-the-art double-ended ferry to navigate the Norwegian fjords. The vessel will operate the Stornes-Bjørnerå connection. The ferry, with a newbuilding number of B 620, will be fitted with two azimuth thrusters with vertically mounted electric motors powered either by batteries or, in case of emergency, by generating sets. Normally, the batteries will be recharged from the shore grid during unloading/loading. This will occur relatively frequently, as a single vessel transit will take no more than 12 minutes.
The ferry will be built based on a design developed by The Norwegian Ship Design Company AS, supported in the scope of workshop documentation by Remontowa Marine Design & Consulting of the Remontowa Holding group. It is 63.65 meters long and 15.50 meters wide, with a capacity of 149 passengers and crew, 50 cars and 6 trailers. The vessel delivery to the Shipowner is planned for the first quarter of 2026.
The ferry will operate in the harsh environment of the Arctic Circle region. Her design emphasises using lightweight materials and implementing a wide range of low-loss solutions and systems, aiming to reduce energy consumption as much as possible.
Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. is a proven and trusted manufacturer of low-emission vessels, most of which it has delivered to the Norwegian market. For Torghatten Nord, the yard built eight ferries between 2011 and 2013, including four LNG-powered ones. By winning the contract for the ninth ferry for this Shipowner, the Shipyard has joined the efforts to electrify its fleet and implement green technologies in Norwegian public transport.
The newbuilding ferry contract with Torghatten Nord is another step in developing the Shipyard’s credentials as a supplier of battery-powered hybrid vessels. Between 2018 and 2021, Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. built six electric ferries, four for Norwegian shipowners and two for UK shipowners.