Hofseth Aqua has signed a contract with Maritime Partner for delivery of a high-speed passenger boat with electric propulsion system.



The boat is an ALUSAFE 1180 EL, with an overall length of 11,8 meter. The boat will be certified to carry up to twelve passengers and a crew of two. An electric motor of 300 kW and a battery capacity of 252 kWh will take care of the propulsion. With a speed of 24 knots, it is estimated that the boat will have a range of 17 nautical miles, while the range will increase to more than 50 nautical miles if the speed is reduced to 13 knots.

The main purpose of the boat is to transport visitors from Valldal to Hofseth's new visitor center at their showcase fish farming facility at Vindsneset in Fjord municipality. Uteguiden in Valldal will be responsible for the operation of the boat, and they will also use the boat in connection with their activities in and around the world heritage area in the inner part of Storfjorden.

As green as it gets 
In line with our goal of being a leader in sustainability and zero emissions, we are now going to procure the most environmentally friendly boat that exists, says Roger Hofseth at Hofseth Aqua. During operation, the boat has zero emission of NOx or CO2. In addition, the boat is built in partially recycled aluminum, and it can be fully recycled at the end of its lifespan.

The boat is built and equipped locally here in Aalesund, so for necessary service and inspection the shipyard is within short reach. The boat will be based in Valldal and powered from a local hydropower plant, adding to the sustainable “green” profile of the whole operation.

We are very grateful to have been awarded this contact for such an environmentally friendly boat, says Peder Myklebust at Maritime Partner. The boat is based on an already known and proven design but is now being redesigned from traditional fossil fuel to zero emission propulsion. Although we have long and valuable experience from delivering boats with hybrid drivelines, this is the first boat we have signed a contract for that will have all-electric propulsion. This is both exciting and inspiring and we hope to be an interesting partner in transiting this part of the shipping industry to a more environmentally friendly operation, says Peder Myklebust.

Hull construction will start as soon as the design are completed, and the boat will be ready for delivery on 1 August. The project has been granted support from Enova.