Ferry operator Fjord1 has contracted HAV Group’s energy design and smart control systems business to deliver two onshore charging stations for use by the four autonomous, zero-emission ferries that will operate the Lavik-Oppedal crossing on the west coast of Norway.
One onshore charging station will be installed at the berth in Lavik and the other in Oppedal. Lavik-Oppedal is a 5.6-kilometre-long ferry route that crosses the Sognefjord, on the west coast of Norway. The ferries will be close to fully charged in approximately ten minutes while at port.
Under the contract, HAV Group’s energy design and smart control systems business will supply two complete containerised onshore charging stations, including transformers, switchboards, control system and data collection system, plus the charging plug that connects the charging stations to the vessels.
Delivery of the onshore charging stations is scheduled for 2026. HAV Group’s contract party is Norwegian Electric Systems AS (NES), which will manage the project out of its headquarters in Bergen, Norway. The company has not disclosed the value of the contract.
“We have delivered multiple onshore charging stations in the past so this is highly familiar territory for NES. That said, these charging stations will be further developed to meet the autonomous operations from the ferries, where also they will have some autonomous functions,” says Siv Remøy-Vangen, managing director of HAV Group’s business for energy design and smart control systems.
FOURTH LAVIK-OPPEDAL CONTRACT
The contract for the onshore charging stations is the fourth award HAV Group has received for the Lavik-Oppedal ferries.
First, HAV Group’s ship design business was contracted to deliver ship design and an engineering package to the vessels. The group’s energy design and smart control business was subsequently awarded contracts by shipbuilder Tersan Shipyard to act as system integrator and provide complete system deliveries for power system, automation and bridge design including navigation and communication solutions for the four ferries, and by ferry operator Fjord1 to develop systems for automation of vessel functions and autonomous navigation for the ferries.
“The work that is being done by Fjord1 and our subsidiaries to help realise these autonomous, zero-emission ferries is impressive. To secure a total of four contracts for a project that will set new standards for the international ferry industry is of major importance for HAV Group. Not only is it an exciting project, but it is also a perfect fit for our group’s strategic direction,” says Gunnar Larsen, CEO of HAV Group.
