Electric Ferry Ampere Marks 10th Anniversary

Since entering service in 2015, the all-electric ferry MF Ampere has sailed the equivalent of 17 times around the equator on batteries alone.

Despite a chorus of critics and skeptics in during the project, a decade later, Ampere continues to showcase the potential of electric technology, tech that has been emulated in ferries globally.

It all started with the Ampere and the Norwegian Public Road Administration's decision to require sustainable technology onboard the newbuild destined to transport passengers and vehicles across the Sognefjord on Norway's west coast. Norled began exploring electric alternatives and initiated a collaboration with Fjellstrand Shipyard to find the best solution. Norled went on to win the ferry tender based on the design of the Ampere.

“When Fjellstrand Shipyard first started looking at electric ferries in 2010, we knew that a fully electric ferry would be challenging on this route due to the distance and power demands. However, when the tender came out, and Norled wanted to make this ferry all-electric, we revisited the idea and found solutions that we thought could work. By leveraging existing, proven vessel designs from previous projects and using our expertise in lightweight and optimized energy designs, we managed to create a vessel