The hydrogen fuelled ROPAX ferries for Vestfjorden awarded LR Approval in Principle
Approval in Principle has been granted by Lloyd’s Register. This is an important step towards starting the construction of the ferries.
The two hydrogen fuelled ferries for Torghatten Nord shall enter operation on October 1st 2025 crossing the Vestfjord between the Lofoten Islands and Bodø in Northern Norway. Annual CO2 emission reductions will be about 26 500 t.
“We are very pleased with the approval in principle, and we are proud to be working with leading experts on hydrogen onboard ships. Developing hydrogen fuelled ferries for such a long and rough open ocean crossing is a world class project for CO2 emission reduction, impacting the maritime sector as well as the local communities in Bodø and the Lofoten Islands” says Torkild Torkildsen CEO Torghatten Nord.
In Bodø on Friday the 26th of August, Lloyd’s Register announced that the ferries have been granted Approval in Principle (AIP), meaning that no major conceptual issues potentially preventing the gaining of classification and regulatory compliance has been identified. “We are pleased to grant Torghatten Nord AIP based on comprehensive analysis of the concept and technology. We have been present in Norway for more than 150 years, but I do not know if Norwegians realize how big and important this project is for green shipping worldwide. The project will spearhead the use of hydrogen as a safe and sustainable future fuel” says Markus Büsig head of Lloyd’s Register Northern Europe.
Further development and engineering are ongoing at Norwegian Ship Design. “No similar ferries to the ferries being developed exist in the world today. We therefore had to start from scratch and develop completely new designs and solutions. We have considered a range of concepts, and in the end we chose a unique concept using hydrogen’s physical properties for achieving optimal safety” says Gjermund Johannessen CEO Norwegian Ship Design.
A comprehensive HAZID (Hazard Identification) has been conducted, where hydrogen safety experts HYEX Safety and potential equipment suppliers took part, in order to ensure an equivalent safety level as on a modern diesel powered ferry. The Norwegian Maritime Authority has been part of this process and has also had separate meetings with Lloyd’s Register before the concept was granted AIP.
“The ferries we are now developing is likely to set the standard for a new class of ferries powered by hydrogen. Our clear philosophy is that new technology never shall compromise safety, function and efficiency” continues Gjermund Johannessen.