ELECTRIFICATION AND BATTERY HYBRIDS

Tersan clinches order for first full-electric autonomous vessels

3 years ago

Turkish shiyard Tersan Shipyard has been awarded a contract to construct four double-ended full-electric vessels for Norwegian ship owner and operator, Fjord 1. The contract, the first of its kind for passenger vessels, was signed after the Norwegian Public Road Administration awarded a long-term public transport tender to Fjord1 for the Lavik-Oppedal crossing north of Bergen along Norway’s west coast.

The pioneering, electrically-powered vessels conceived for autonomous operation are set to make their debut carrying passenger and freight across the 5 kilometre crossing in September 2026. The vessels will subsequently begin to progressively introduce autonomous features, including autocrossing and autodocking in 2027, until fully autonomous operations are achieved in 2028.

“It was very important for Fjord1 to win this development contract where the Norwegian Road Administration saw a requirement to develop the green ferry industry one step further with requirements for an increased degree of autonomy and automation through the use of new technology,” Nils Kristian Berge, technology and project director at Fjord1, announced in a social media posting.

The double-ended ferries will have space for 120 vehicles. Tersan has previously cooperated with Fjord1 on the construction of several double-ended ferries equipped with Kongsberg’s autocrossing solution.