Sweden's Trafikverket Orders Autonomous Electric Ferries

Holland Shipyards Group said it signed a contract with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket Sweden) for the delivery of up to four autonomous all-electric ferries. The vessels, which will be built for the agency's ferries unit Trafikverket Färjerederiet, will sail according to autonomy level 2, and will be controlled from the remote control center based in Stockholm.

The signed contract includes the delivery of two ferries with four automooring facilities and two charging stations, a simulator facility and a remote control center. The tender covers the entire procurement: four ferries, eight automooring facilities, four charging stations and more.

The ferries, measuring 86 meters by 14.24 meters with a 60 car carrying capacity, are intended to be autonomous vessels level 2 (IMO), meaning that the vessel are remotely monitored, but do have crew on board that can take control whenever necessary. Crossing the ferry route can be done with just the push of a button. While mooring, the vessels are being charged by a shore charging facility within approximately four minutes.

The first ferry is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2024 and the other ferries will arrive in constant intervals after the first.

They will go into traffic on Ljusteröleden and Vaxholmsleden in the Stockholm archipelago. They will primarily run on electricity but have backup engines that run on HVO, an environmentally friendly diesel substitute.

"This is the largest investment that the ferry company has ever made and is a big step both for the climate and in technology development for safer shipping," said Erik Froste, Trafikverket Färjerederiet shipping manager.

The new ferries are part of the ferry company's Vision 45, a plan for all of its vessels to be climate neutral by 2045.