Two new hybrid ferries will use system as they cross the fjord between Flakk and Rørvik in Norway
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Rolls-Royce is to supply its Automatic Crossing System for two new double-ended plug-in battery hybrid ferries being built by Kleven shipyard for Norwegian ferry operator FosenNamsos Sjø.
The first of its kind, Rolls-Royce’s Automatic Crossing System will be installed on FosenNamsos Sjø’s two newbuilds, which have been designed by Norwegian ship design company Multi Maritime. Construction will start at the Kleven-owned Myklebust Verft Shipyard in Norway this May and delivery is scheduled for late 2018. The ferries will begin operation on 1 January 2019.
Rolls-Royce’s Automatic Crossing System will automatically control the ferries’ acceleration, deceleration, speed and track as they cross the fjord between Flakk and Rørvik, connecting Fosen with Trondheim. The vessels’ two energy-efficient Rolls-Royce Azipull thrusters respond adaptively to environmental conditions to ensure optimal behaviour and maximise efficiency.
The captain will supervise the automatic system and intervene using traditional manoeuvring systems if needed. In this first generation of the system, the captain will manoeuvre the ferry manually the last few metres to the dock. However, if the captain is unable to do so, the system automatically stops the ferry at a safe distance from the quayside. The next iteration of this product will extend the system to allow fully automatic berthing.
“These additional orders for the Rolls-Royce Automatic Crossing System mean it is fast becoming the industry standard for double-ended ferry control systems, helping the customer meet their contractual need to ensure predictable energy consumption optimised for varying environmental conditions,” said Jann Peter Strand, product manager for Automation & Control – Marine at Rolls-Royce. “The Automatic Crossing System can be installed as an add-on to any standard Rolls-Royce azimuthing thruster, which means it can be retrofitted to the existing fleet of ferries around the world.”
FosenNamsos Sjø’s order is the second for Rolls-Royce, which revealed that Norwegian ferry company Fjord1 would be the first to install its Automatic Crossing System last October. Fjord 1 will use the system to control two new double-ended battery ferries as they cross between Anda and Lote on the west coast of Norway.