VESSEL REVIEW | Stokkafjord – Norway’s Boreal deploys battery hybrid Ro-Pax for Nordland County routes

Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul recently delivered a new double-ended Ro-Pax ferry to Norwegian transport company Boreal for operation by its Boreal Sjo shipping line.

Stokkafjord was designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm Multi Maritime as a plug-in hybrid vessel for operation in the northern part of the country. It has a length of 80.5 metres, a beam of 14.5 metres, a gross tonnage of 2,700, and capacity for 249 passengers, 60 cars, and six 19.5-metre trailers. There is ample space to allow all passengers and vehicles to be accommodated on a single deck.

The hybrid propulsion setup includes a Corvus Energy battery with a 2,034kWh capacity. In addition to ensuring operations with reduced noise, the battery will also help the ferry achieve CO2 emissions reductions of as much as 1,000 tonnes each year. Charging is done at the two stops along the ferry's route.

The propulsion also includes four Scania DI16M main engines connected to Stamford generators that in turn drive two Kongsberg Maritime azimuthing thrusters.

The bridge features navigation equipment from Furuno and seats from NorSap. A Zenitel CCTV setup is also fitted.

The main passenger space also features a refreshment kiosk. The passenger seating arrangement includes separate chairs for solo travellers and seating clusters for families and other small groups. Work on the interiors was provided by Ekornes and Maritime Montering while Jotun supplied the paint for all surfaces and Libra-Plast installed the external doors.

The interiors also come equipped with a Teknotherm ventilation system and a firefighting alarm and sprinkler system supplied by Marsis. For emergencies, the ferry relies on liferafts and marine evacuation slides from LSA and a rescue boat from Viking Life-Saving Equipment.

The DNV-classed Stokkafjord is homeported in Hammerfest and has already begun sailing on Boreal Sjo's Tjotta–Forvik connection that spans 17.4 kilometres in Nordland County. The ferry can complete each one-way trip in 70 minutes.