New electric ferry unveiled in Sweden

The company says MS Sjövägen is the result of its plan to deliver ‘silent, clean and cost-effective operations’ in light of even stricter environmental regulations that aim to reduce both fuel and noise emissions.

MS Sjövägen was designed by Faaborg Vaerft together with Principia North AS and Wilhelmsen Technical Solution and built in DIAB’s Divinycell H.

It features ‘sandwich composite’, used mainly for the hull, topsides and wheelhouse and is ice-reinforced.

It’s also been equipped with a double propeller system, two 160kW electrical engines for propulsion, 500kW battery bank, electrohydraulic steering system, electrical bow thruster and communication and navigation equipment. Ballerina says this means the vessel has virtually none of the noise that comes with combustion-engine vessels.

It will operate throughout the year, completing eight round-trips per day, with the batteries being fully charged during the ferry’s overnight stay in the harbour, and two partial charging sessions during the day.