By
Rebecca Gibson |
Rolls-Royce will supply its efficient Azipull propulsion and control system to a new, battery-powered ferry, which will be operated by Norwegian transport company Norled, on the Lavik-Oppedal route from January 2015.
The Azipull propulsion system uses pulling propellers as opposed to conventional azimuth thrusters, which will enable the aluminium catamaran to become 15 to 20 per cent more energy efficient than existing ships.
“The combination of good manoeuvrability and reduced energy consumption provides a highly efficient ferry for Norled, with significantly reduced operating costs and improved environmental performance,” said Neil Gilliver, president-merchant at Rolls-Royce. “This contract also marks the tenth anniversary of the delivery of our very first Azipull thrusters, which was also to Fjellstrand shipyard.”
Norled’s 360-passenger ferry, currently under construction at the Fjellstrand yard in Norway, will accommodate 120 cars and operate at a speed of about 10 knots. It will charge its lithium-ion batteries while loading or unloading cars and overnight, when moored along the quay.