Holland Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Trafikverket Sweden for the delivery of two semi-autonomous all-electric ferries, with an option for two vessels.
The ferries will sail according to autonomy level 2 and will be controlled from a remote control centre in Stockholm.
HSG director Cor Hoogendoorn said: “We are extremely proud to be a part of this pioneering step in shipbuilding.”
The contract includes the delivery of two ferries with four auto-mooring facilities and two charging stations, a simulator facility and a remote control centre. The tender covers the entire procurement, including four ferries, eight auto-mooring facilities and four charging stations.
The ferries, measuring 86m x 14.24m 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. During mooring, the vessels are charged by a shore charging facility within approximately four minutes.
The implementation of autonomous sailing technology is intended to increase passenger safety in the long run. When a fully operational system is in place, situations can be dealt with in an entirely consistent manner, reducing the risk for unexpected actions. Reducing the dependency on crew on board requires that many systems are remotely operable and are redundant, so that, when one method of operation fails, another remains available. This means that the level of inputs and outputs into the ship’s Integrated Automations System (IAS) will be large. The IAS in turn will be mirrored in a remote control centre, allowing on-shore monitoring personnel full access to all the ship’s vital functionalities.
The first ferry is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2024. Holland Shipyards Group says it has proven to be a frontrunner in the electrification of vessels with many electric and hybrid ferries delivered in the past five years in North-West Europe.
