Brødrene Aa to lengthen and convert two Oslofjord fast ferries to electric propulsion
The two fast ferries Baronen and Baronessen are currently being lengthened and converted to battery power in Norway (Source: Brødrene Aa)
Norway’s specialist fast ferry shipyard Brødrene Aa is currently in the middle of a major fast ferry conversion project to lengthen and convert two fast ferries that operate on Oslofjord to electric propulsion.
The ferries, Baronessen and Baronen, are owned by domestic ferry operator Norled and were built by this shipyard in 2009. Both ferries, which can each carry 250 passengers, returned to the yard, based in Hyen, towards the end of 2023 for the conversion project which will take six months each. The two ferries are expected to be back in service for the summer 2024 season.
The work scope on the fast ferries will see each vessel lengthened by 10m from 31.5m and their original MTU high-speed diesels replaced by the battery exchange solution SHIFTR, a system where the battery packs are exchanged at scheduled port calls and are replaced by fully charged battery packs that are taken on board.
SHIFTR is an autonomous battery-charging robot which uses a robotic arm and a battery carousel to change each fast ferry’s battery module in just three minutes. SHIFTR makes it possible to change to a fully charged battery while the vessel is alongside. At the same time, the power grid will not be burdened to the same extent as with fast charging.
By changing the battery instead of having permanent batteries makes each fast ferry lighter in weight and, therefore, will be able to run on longer routes than previously in the Oslo area, at the same speed.
