Norway showcases award-winning electric ferry technology

As of March 2026, there are 108 electric car and passenger ferries in service in Norway. The country is home the world’s first fully electric passenger ferry, MS Ampere, and the world’s first fully electric high-speed ferry, MS Medstraum. Ferry operator Bastø Fosen, meanwhile, runs the world’s largest e-ferry on the busiest commuter route in the Oslofjord.

Ampere began operating across the Sognefjord in 2015. Designed and built by Fjellstrand and operated by Norled, the vessel has won multiple international awards, including Ship of the Year in 2014.

Fast forward to 2022, when Medstraum took its maiden voyage on a multi-stop commuter route between the city of Stavanger and the surrounding communities. Medstraum has reduced emissions in the region by some 1 500 metric tons annually, the equivalent of taking 30–60 buses off the road. It also has roughly 30 per cent lower energy consumption than conventional alternatives. Like Ampere, it was named Ship of the Year, this time in 2022.

Such breakthroughs often depend on extensive cross‑border cooperation. Medstraum is the result of a European collaboration – the EU-funded TrAM project initiated by the Norwegian industry cluster Maritime CleanTech. Fourteen partners from Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK cooperated to create a zero-emission fast ferry through advanced modular production, reducing manufacturing and engineering costs. (See the list of project participants below.)

The TrAM project also highlights the need for robust public–private collaboration. Green maritime innovation is costly and high‑risk, and private companies cannot shoulder the burden alone.

In this case, the EU and Rogaland county, where Medstraum operates, were essential to the project’s success. “We needed to sell this ferry, so we had to keep the costs and risks to a minimum,” says Edmund Tolo, R&D/Sales Manager at Fjellstrand, which designed and built Medstraum.

Fortunately, public funding accelerated the process.

“The EU funding covered about 20 per cent of the building cost. On top of that, Rogaland county made an extraordinary financial commitment. Usually it is the shipowner that assumes the risk, but here Rogaland took some risk and the EU did as well. Without this public support, we could not have completed the ferry in a timely manner,” he adds.

Thanks to this public–private partnership, Kolumbus, the county’s public transport service, was able to purchase Medstraum in 2021 and begin operations in 2022.

Norway’s experience highlights the challenges that still need solving, including vessel cost, battery weight, access to charging infrastructure and complex tender processes.

Tole stresses, “The biggest problem is that it’s still more expensive to build battery ferries than diesel ferries.” Moreover, he has some definite ideas on how to solve this:

“It’s up to the politicians. It must be cheaper to choose battery over diesel, so two things need to happen. The government must require all newbuilds to be emission free and it must provide incentives to make electric ferries less expensive, as Norway did with EV cars.”

The ultimate goal is to create a robust market by increasing volume and decreasing costs.

Technological advances are accelerating adoption worldwide. There is greater demand for cleaner, quieter and more efficient e-ferries as the EU, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and individual countries set climate targets and impose regulations. Norway has already introduced zero‑emission requirements for passenger ships and ferries under 10 000 GT in World Heritage fjords from 2026, with larger vessels following from 2032.

Norwegian innovators are well‑positioned to meet the rising demand. For example Hyke, which is part of the Eker Group, builds compact electric ferries with an electric powertrain, solar panels and automatic high-power charging. Every ferry is autonomy-ready and designed to support urban mobility.

Former CEO Bjørn Utgård explains: “We are seeing the revival of waterways as a medium for urban mobility, tourism and logistics. Our mission is to help cities to accelerate this transition by providing an integrated waterborne mobility solution, making waterborne travel cooler, cleaner and more efficient for all.”

Looking ahead, Tolo is confident: “I’m sure that electric ferries will take over the market for short routes. We will also see more electric ferries on longer, coastal routes.” With its experience, industrial capabilities and proven solutions, Norway is ready to help the world to meet its maritime climate goals.

Learn more and connect directly with companies developing the next generation of zero-emission vessels and related solutions.