Pilot projects

Battery Electric Vessels

Norled’s MF Ampere on Sognefjord – the world’s first all-electric car ferry (in service since 2015) . As of 2024, Norway alone operates roughly 70 battery-electric ferries (over half its ferry fleet) , illustrating a rapid maritime shift to zero-emission propulsion. Below are notable examples of battery-electric vessels leading this transition:

• MF Ampere (Norway, 2015) – The Ampere was the world’s first electric car and passenger ferry, launching in May 2015 . This 80 m aluminum catamaran carries 120 vehicles and 360 passengers across the Lavik–Oppedal route (6 km, 20 minutes) 34 times a day on lithium-ion batteries . With a 1 MWh battery pack, Ampere avoids burning ~1 million liters of diesel and emitting ~2,680 tons CO₂ per year by using 100% hydropower for recharging . Its success proved the viability of e-ferries and inspired Norway’s ferry electrification “ferry-tale.”

• E-ferry Ellen (Denmark, 2019) – Ellen is a medium-sized fully electric ferry launched in 2019 as part of an EU Horizon 2020 project . At ~60 m length, Ellen carries 31 cars (or 5 trucks) and 198 passengers, sailing a 22 nautical mile (40 km) route between the island of Ærø (Søby) and Fynshav on battery power alone . Its 4.3 MWh battery system (the largest at sea in 2019) gives Ellen the world’s longest e-ferry range, enabling a 55-minute crossing and saving an estimated 2,000 tons of CO₂ annually . In June 2022, Ellen set a world record by sailing 50 nm (92 km) on a single charge – about 7 times further than typical electric ferries – demonstrating significant progress in battery capacity and efficiency.

• MF Bastø Electric (Norway, 2021) – Bastø Electric entered service in early 2021 as the world’s largest all-electric ferry at launch . The 139 m ferry (built by Sefine Shipyard, Turkey) carries up to 600 passengers and 200 cars (or 24 trucks) across the busy 10 km Moss–Horten route in the Oslo Fjord . It employs a 4.3 MWh battery system supplied by Siemens and can fast-charge at 9 MW power at each docking . With three identical ferries (one new build and two conversions) on this route, the operator Bastø Fosen expects to cut CO₂ emissions by ~75% (an ~80% overall GHG reduction) versus the former diesel operation . Each ferry charges in just a few minutes during turnaround (“lightning fast”) and crosses in about 30 minutes. Bastø Electric marked a new era for high-capacity, zero-emission ferries on Norway’s busiest ferry connection.

• MS Medstraum (Norway, 2022) – Medstraum is the world’s first fully electric high-speed ferry, officially named in Stavanger in 2022 . Developed by an EU-funded consortium (TrAM project), the 31 m catamaran can carry ~150 passengers and operates at 23 knots service speed on battery power . Medstraum’s 1.5 MWh battery and two electric motors enable zero-emission commuter service between Stavanger city and nearby islands . This award-winning fast ferry demonstrates that battery propulsion is feasible not only for short hops but also for high-speed routes, cutting emissions equivalent to removing 30 buses annually . It showcases innovative modular construction and has garnered international attention as a model for future electric fast ferries .
• MF Vargsund (Norway, 2026) – Launched in January 2026, M/F Vargsund became the world’s northernmost fully-electric car ferry, proving battery ferries can handle Arctic conditions . This 50 m ferry (28 cars, 98 passengers) now connects two remote islands in Finnmark, Norway, and started service amid winter temperatures of –25 °C . Despite the extreme cold, operations have been “surprisingly smooth,” validating green technology in harsh climates . A sister ship, M/F Seiland, is due by April 2026 to electrify a second Finnmark route, after which both island connections will run with zero emissions year-round . The success of Vargsund (run by operator Torghatten) paves the way for further Arctic electrification and underscores Norway’s commitment to decarbonize even its most far-flung ferry routes.
• Yara Birkeland (Norway, 2022) – Yara Birkeland is the world’s first autonomous, fully-electric container ship. This 80 m open-top vessel (120 TEU capacity) was delivered in late 2021 and began commercial operations in 2022, transporting fertilizer on a short voyage (~11 nm) from Yara’s Porsgrunn plant to Brevik port in Norway . Powered by a 6.8 MWh battery and twin electric propulsion pods, the ship achieves a maximum 13–15 knots and eliminates an estimated 40,000 diesel truck trips per year between the plant and port . In March 2023 Yara Birkeland completed its first fully autonomous voyage (under human supervision) between two ports . While regulatory hurdles mean it still has a small crew onboard for now, the vessel is in an ongoing trial aiming for certified unmanned operations by 2026 . The project, a partnership between Yara and Kongsberg, showcases zero-emission maritime logistics and has attracted global attention as a blueprint for short-sea shipping’s future .

• Alphenaar & ZESpack Barges (Netherlands, 2021) – In September 2021, the Alphenaar became the first Dutch battery-electric inland cargo vessel . Operated by Zero Emission Services (ZES), this converted barge uses swappable 20-ft “ZESpack” battery containers instead of diesel engines . Each ZESpack holds ~2 MWh; two packs give a range of 60–120 km per swap, allowing flexible operation on long canals. The Alphenaar now runs a beer supply route for Heineken, emission-free, between Alphen aan den Rijn and Moerdijk (via Rotterdam) . Batteries are exchanged at a network of shore charging stations, minimizing downtime. This interchangeable battery system avoids tailpipe emissions entirely – saving ~1,000 tons CO₂ and 7 tons NOₓ per barge annually compared to diesel – and drastically cuts noise and particulates. Following the Alphenaar’s successful debut, the Netherlands plans to expand to dozens of zero-emission barge routes by 2030, proving that even heavy inland shipping can be electrified with innovative business models.

  

Hybrid Electric Vessels

• Color Hybrid (Norway, 2019) – Launched in mid-2019, Color Hybrid is a 160 m ro-pax ferry acclaimed as the world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship . Operated by Color Line on the Sandefjord–Strømstad route, it features a 4.7 MWh battery pack that can propel the ship for up to 1 hour on pure electric power . In normal service the vessel runs on a hybrid propulsion system (battery plus marine engines), allowing silent, zero-emission departures and arrivals in fjords and ports. Color Hybrid can carry ~2,000 passengers and 500 cars, demonstrating that battery-hybrid technology is scalable to large vessels . The ship’s batteries recharge from shore power in Sandefjord daily, and its entry into service in 2019 proved that even 17,000-ton ferries can drastically cut emissions. This innovative ferry won the “Ship of the Year 2019” award and has become a model for green ferry design internationally.

• MS Roald Amundsen (Norway, 2019) – Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen is a hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship that became the world’s first battery-assisted cruise ship in 2019 . Designed for polar voyages, the 140 m vessel carries about 500 passengers in extreme environments. It uses a sizable battery bank to support its diesel generators, allowing 45–60 minutes of all-electric operation under ideal conditions . This enables the ship to glide silently through pristine Arctic waters and cuts fuel consumption, yielding a ~20% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to a conventional ship of its size . The battery system primarily stores excess energy from the engines and redeploys it for peak shaving and maneuvering, since charging infrastructure is sparse on remote routes . Hurtigruten’s experiment has been successful – the Roald Amundsen became the first hybrid ship to transit the Northwest Passage. A sister ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen, joined the fleet in 2020 with a battery pack twice the capacity of Amundsen’s . Together these hybrids show that even cruise liners can significantly cut emissions with battery technology, pending further advances in energy density.

• Havila Capella (Norway, 2021) – The Havila Capella is a Norwegian coastal cruise ferry that debuted in late 2021 with one of the largest battery packs ever installed on a ship. This 124 m vessel, which sails the Bergen–Kirkenes route, is equipped with a 6.1 MWh lithium-ion battery system and LNG engines, making it a dual-fuel hybrid. The massive battery (weighing 86 tons) lets Havila Capella sail for up to 4 hoursemission-free on stored power alone – enough to traverse entire fjord stretches without noise or pollution. By leveraging clean Norwegian hydropower for charging, the ship drastically cuts emissions (about 35% less CO₂ and 90% less NOₓ than older vessels) while visiting sensitive UNESCO fjords . In practice, the ferry can arrive and depart ports on electric power and even cruise silently under the Northern Lights. Havila Capella’s groundbreaking battery capacity – roughly equivalent to 600 Tesla car batteries – earned it the Next Generation Ship Award in 2022, and it demonstrates how hybrids can bridge the gap to fully electric long-distance ships by reducing fuel use and eliminating emissions in ecologically vulnerable areas.

Each of these pilot projects highlights a different facet of maritime electrification – from short ferry hops to polar cruises and freight transport. Collectively, they show that battery-electric and hybrid vessels are no longer futuristic concepts but operational realities across Europe, significantly cutting emissions and leading the way towards a zero-emission maritime sector .

Sources: The information above is gathered from recent reports, official releases, and news articles on alternative-fuel vessels, including the European Alternative Fuels Observatory and project press releases . Each example reflects the state-of-the-art as of end-2025 in advancing cleaner maritime transport.