Rolls-Royce Marine has signed a deal to supply its innovative Autocrossing system to a total of 13 new environmentally friendly ferries for the Norwegian company Fjord1. The vessels are currently being built by three yards in Turkey and two yards in Norway. All contracts also include two azipull propellers for each vessel with accompanying propeller control system from Rolls-Royce, the company said in its press release.
With this contract, Rolls-Royce has sold autocrossing to a total of 18 new ferries to operate along the coast of Norway, of which 16 have been ordered by Fjord1 and two by another Norwegian ferry company, FosenNamsos Sjø.
Dagfinn Neteland, CEO of Fjord1 said: “Our passengers will be part of the most environmentally friendly and modern transportation concept ever seen in Norwegian fjords. The technology from Rolls-Royce enables us to deliver this promise.”
Andreas Seth, Rolls-Royce, SVP Electro, Automation and Control said: “We are proud to take part in the ongoing renewal program for ferries that connects communities along the long Norwegian coastline. The Government deserves praise for opting for both innovative and environmentally friendly solutions. It makes it possible for the maritime industry to deliver our latest technology.”
The new generation of environmentally friendly ferries have strict yearly limits on energy consumption as part of the commercial agreement between the ferry operator and the Government. The automatic crossing system provides safe, predictable and energy-efficient transit back and forth by automatically controlling the vessel’s acceleration, deceleration, speed and track. The two energy-efficient Rolls-Royce Azipull thrusters respond adaptively to environmental conditions to ensure optimal behaviour and maximise efficiency.
The vessel’s captain will supervise the automatic system and intervene using traditional maneuvering systems if needed. If the captain is not, for some reason, able to take manual control, the system stops the vessel at a safe distance from the quayside and keeps it safely positioned automatically until further action can be taken.
Andreas Seth said: “Five of the new vessels will operate in one of Norway’s two designated test areas for autonomous ship technology. This is a perfect location as the Autocrossing system from Rolls-Royce is indeed a step on the journey towards increased autonomous and remote navigation.
The Automatic Crossing System can today be installed as an add-on to any standard Rolls-Royce azimuthing thruster. This means the system can be retrofitted to the existing fleet of ferries around the world.
Overview of shipyards building the 13 new ferries for Fjord1:
Havyard Ship Technology, Norway = 5 ferries
Fjellstrand, Norway = 1 ferry
Tersan Shipyard, Turkey = 2 ferries
Sefine Shipyard, Turkey = 3 ferries
Cemre Shipyard, Turkey = 2 ferries
Earlier this year Fjord1 took delivery of three new ferries from Tersan, with Autocrossing installed, while the two ferries for FosenNamsos Sjø are under construction at Kleven’s Myklebust shipyard in Norway.