1. Press
Nuremberg, May 19, 2015
First electrical car ferry in the world in
operation in Norway now
• Siemens delivers charging stations with lithium-ion batteries charged from
hydro power
• Ferry only uses 150 kWh per route and reduces cost of fuel by 60 percent
• Milestone on the road to operating emission-free ferries
The world’s first electrical car and passenger ferry powered by batteries has entered
service in Norway. The ferry only uses 150 kilowatt hours (kWh) per route, which
corresponds to three days use of electricity in a standard Norwegian household.
Built in conjunction with shipbuilder Fjellstrand, Siemens put up charging stations
with lithium-ion batteries which are charged from renewable energy, namely hydro
power. With the change to battery, ship owner Norled is reducing the cost of fuel by
up to 60 percent. The Norled ferry represents a milestone on the road to operating
completely emission-free ferries along Norway’s long coastline, with at least 50
other routes currently able to sustain battery-operated vessels.
Because the power grid in the region is relatively weak, Siemens and Norled
decided to install three battery packs: one lithium-ion battery on board the ferry, and
one at each pier to serve as a buffer. The 260-kWh-units supply electricity to the
ferry while it waits. Afterward, the battery slowly recoups all of this energy from the
grid until the ship comes back again to drop off passengers and recharge. Charging
stations are housed in small buildings about the size of newsstands. The ship’s
onboard batteries are recharged directly from the grid at night when the ferry is not
in use. Each battery pack corresponds to the effect of 1600 standard car batteries.
The Norled ferry will consume around two million kWh per year, whereas a
traditional diesel ferry consumes at least one million liters of diesel a year and emits
570 tons of carbon dioxide and 15 metric tons of nitrogen oxides. “We are proud to
Siemens AG
Communications and Government Affairs
Head: Stephan Heimbach
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
80333 Munich
Germany
Reference number: PR2015050200PDEN
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2. Siemens AG Press Release
operate the world’s first electric ferry”, says Sigvald Breivik, Technical director of
Norled. “Siemens has been a great partner in finding innovative and sustainable
solutions for our environment.”
On board the ferry, Siemens installed its electric propulsion system BlueDrive
PlusC. It includes a battery and steering system, thruster control for the propellers,
an energy management system and an integrated alarm system. The integrated
automation systems control and monitor the machineries and auxiliaries on the ferry
and are connected via Profibus to all other subsystems.
“We are both optimistic and excited about this technology and how it will help shape
the future of environmentally friendly maritime technology,” says Mario Azar, CEO of
the Siemens Business Unit Oil & Gas and Marine. “We were pleased to apply our
expertise in this field including electric propulsion systems to such a worthwhile
project,” added Azar.
Unlike many electric cars, the emission-free ferry was developed from the ground
up. The ferry, which is 80 meters long and 20 meters wide, is driven by two electric
motors, each with an output of 450 kilowatts. It is made exclusively of light aluminum
rather than the steel normally used in shipbuilding. This makes the ferry only half as
heavy as a conventional ferry, despite its ten ton batteries and a capacity for 360
passengers and 120 vehicles. An aluminum hull also has double the lifetime as steel
hull, which leads to lower maintenance costs.
Ship owner Norled operates on the ferry link across Sognefjord between Lavik and
Oppedal, Norway. The fully electric ferry travels six kilometers across the fjord 34
times a day, with each trip taking around 20 minutes. The unique solution is a result
of a competition that Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Norwegian
Public Roads Administration launched in 2010. Batteries are expected to become
considerably more efficient and less expensive in the next few years, which tip the
scales further away from diesel as the most popular fuel source.
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3. Siemens AG Press Release
The first electric car and passenger ferry in the world, equipped by Siemens in
cooperation with shipbuilder Fjellstrand, has been taken into operation. With three
battery packs, one on board and one at each pier, it functions completely emission
free.
This press release and press pictures are available at
http://www.siemens.com/press/PR2015050200PDEN
Contact for journalists:
Ines Giovannini
Phone: +49 911 895-7946; E-mail: ines.giovannini@siemens.com
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Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence,
innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200
countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers
of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading
supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a
pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is
also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance
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4. Siemens AG Press Release
imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on
September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of
€5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing
basis. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
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