“This is an important milestone for us, and we are very pleased that we have been chosen as partner in this very exciting project. We are looking forward to the further cooperation with Color Line,” states CEO Gunvor Ulstein at Ulstein Group. The vessel will be designed by Fosen.

The vessel is planned to service Sandefjord-Strömstad from summer 2019. The ferry is a plug-in hybrid, where the batteries are recharged via a power cable with green electricity from their own shore facilities or recharged on board by the ship's generators.

The vessel, with the working title "Color Hybrid", will have almost double capacity as M/S “Bohus”, which is scheduled to be phased out when the new ferry will be put into operation. The ship will have full battery power into and out of the fjord to Sandefjord. It will therefore not give emissions of harmful greenhouse gases or nitrogen and sulphur compounds in this area.

“The signing of the LOI represents a significant step to realize the world's largest plug-in hybrid ship. It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proven its competitiveness internationally,” says Trond Kleivdal at Color Line.

The natural environment is an accelerator to Color Line, whose company has installed shore power facilities in Oslo, Larvik and Kristiansand. With shore power in Sandefjord installed, all Color Line Norwegian ports will have shore power facilities. “Our ambition is to be a leader in European short sea shipping and "Color Hybrid 'is a new proof of this, says Kleivdal.

Color Line is currently the only company in the international passenger and freight traffic to and from Norway with ships registered in the Norwegian Ship Register and with Norwegian headquarters. “The focus on a new vessel with new green technology happens partly because the company, through the Government's maritime strategy, has received approximately identical conditions as their competitors in the Nordic region,” says Trond Kleivdal.

The world's largest plug-in hybrid ferry will be 160 metres long and have a capacity of 2,000 passengers and about 500 cars. The ship will provide significantly increased capacity on the route between Norway and Sweden, and will represent expanded and improved services on board and therefore a new and better travel experience.

Vira Maritime