Getting around Norway’s coastline is about to look very different. Boreal AS has ordered 20 electric hydrofoil ferries from Sweden’s Candela Technology, a deal the companies say will create the world’s largest electric fleet when deliveries begin next year.
The vessels are designed to serve tourists and daily commuters along Norway’s fjord-lined coast, where water travel is a basic part of transport. Boreal described the hydrofoils as “uniquely fast” and said they would cut travel times on routes that now rely on conventional ferries.
Electrifying passenger boats has been difficult because electric ferries have struggled to match the range and speed of diesel vessels that connect towns along Norway’s 100,000-kilometre coastline. Candela said its P-12 model is built to close that gap, with a cruising speed of 25 knots and a range of about 40 nautical miles.
According to a company press release, that gives the vessel enough performance to run electric services on routes that had previously been served only by diesel-powered boats.
“Candela P-12 is the only electric passenger vessel that combines longer range with high speed without requiring extensive charging infrastructure,” Boreal chief executive Nikolai Knudsmoen Utheim said.
“Our investment will enable new high-speed routes both in cities and in rural areas.”
“Norway has already led the electrification of maritime transport. With this fleet, Boreal wants to take the next step, accelerating zero-emission high-speed travel.”
The P-12 uses computer-controlled hydrofoils, wings mounted beneath the hull, to lift the vessel above the water once it passes 18 knots. Candela said that sharply cuts drag and lowers energy use by about 80 percent compared with conventional vessels of similar size.
The company also said the ferries can fully recharge in an hour using standard DC car fast chargers. That would avoid the megawatt-scale charging systems used by conventional electric ferries.
Candela recently demonstrated that charging approach on a voyage between Sweden and Norway. The company said the P-12 completed the longest electric sea journey to date, recharging along the route with a mobile battery system carried by a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup.
The companies say the ferries will also improve comfort for passengers. A digital flight controller reads wave conditions through sensors and adjusts the hydrofoils in real time to keep the ride smooth, including in rough seas.
Candela’s EU director Alexander Sifvert said the new services would be “free from seasickness and without the negative impacts of wake and emissions on the unique Norwegian fjords.”
Recent tests in Stockholm found wakes from the P-12 measured 13 centimetres. Candela compared that to “a small dinghy with an outboard motor”.
Cabin noise tests measured 64 dB inside the vessel. The company said that is lower than modern trains, aircraft or ferries.
The order comes as Norway is already well advanced in electric transport. The source text says 99 percent of new car sales in the country are already fully electric.
It says that makes a cleaner version of the country’s rural passenger boat network, known as “hurtigbåtar”, a logical next step. Boreal’s order would put those routes on electric hydrofoil vessels that travel above the water rather than pushing through it.
“Candela P-12 is the only electric passenger vessel that combines longer range with high speed without requiring extensive charging infrastructure,” Utheim said.
