Rolls-Royce to supply Autocrossing system and propellers to 13 Fjord1 ferries
Rolls-Royce Marine has signed a deal to supply its Autocrossing partially autonomous system to a total of 13 new environmentally friendly ferries for the Norwegian company Fjord1.
The vessels are currently being built by three yards in Turkey and two yards in Norway. All contracts also include two azipull propellers for each vessel with accompanying propeller control system from Rolls-Royce.
With this contract, Rolls-Royce has sold Autocrossing to a total of 18 new ferries to operate along the coast of Norway, of which 16 have been ordered by Fjord1 and two by another Norwegian ferry company, FosenNamsos Sjø.
Dagfinn Neteland, CEO of Fjord1 said: “Our passengers will be part of the most environmentally friendly and modern transportation concept ever seen in Norwegian fjords. The technology from Rolls-Royce enables us to deliver this promise.”
The new generation of environmentally friendly ferries have strict yearly limits on energy consumption as part of the commercial agreement between the ferry operator and the Government. The automatic crossing system provides safe, predictable and energy-efficient transit back and forth by automatically controlling the vessel’s acceleration, deceleration, speed and track. The two energy-efficient Rolls-Royce Azipull thrusters respond adaptively to environmental conditions to ensure optimal behaviour and maximise efficiency.
The vessel’s captain will supervise the automatic system and intervene using traditional maneuvering systems if needed. If the captain is not, for some reason, able to take manual control, the system stops the vessel at a safe distance from the quayside and keeps it safely positioned automatically until further action can be taken.
The Automatic Crossing System can today be installed as an add-on to any standard Rolls-Royce azimuthing thruster. This means the system can be retrofitted to the existing fleet of ferries around the world.
Shipyards in northern and southern Europe are building the 13 new ferries for Fjord1, including Havyard Ship Technology and Fjellstrand in Norway and Tersan, Sefine and Cemre Shipyards in Turkey.
Earlier this year Fjord1 took delivery of three new ferries from Tersan, with Autocrossing installed, while the two ferries for FosenNamsos Sjø are under construction at Kleven’s Myklebust shipyard in Norway.
By Jake Frith
