EU project to partly fund Norwegian ferry operator’s trial switch to hydrogen from biodiesel

In Norway, The European innovation project FLAGSHIPS has been awarded 5 Million Euros from the EU to support deploying two commercially operated zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vessels in France and Norway.

The FLAGSHIPS project contributes in building two new build vessels, one in Lyon, France and one in Stavanger, Norway. In Lyon, a hydrogen push-boat operated by Compagnie Fluvial de Transport (CFT) will serve as a utility vessel on one of its most demanding rivers, the Rhône. In Stavanger, hydrogen is intended to power a passenger and car ferry operated by Norled as part of the local public transport network.

The funds awarded to the FLAGSHIPS project have been granted from EU’s Research and Innovation program Horizon 2020 under the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

This innovation project will look at the possibility to replace biodiesel with hydrogen on one of the ferries to be built for the Finnøy-route north east of Stavanger. The route serves several islands with short and several stops, which makes it difficult to realize the effective shore charging required for battery-powered vessels. Norled’s intention is to apply the hydrogen technology being developed by the company in several other ongoing hydrogen-related projects, such as building the world’s first ship powered by liquid hydrogen for the Hjelmeland connection in Western Norway.