Hybrid-Electric Vessel Wins Ship of the Year Award

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday September 12, 2016

Brødrene Aa has announced that Vision of the Fjords, a hybrid-electric sightseeing vessel that was designed and built by the company, has been named Ship of the Year 2016 by maritime magazine Skipsrevyen at SMM in Hamburg last week.

"This year's Ship of the Year is truly innovative, with efficient diesel propulsion for long distance transfer and electric propulsion for quiet and pollution-free sightseeing in the beautiful UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjords," said the award panel.

"The design of the vessel itself, a catamaran with a carbon-fibre hull and the modern passenger facilities adds to the overall feeling that this is something completely new."

As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, owned by The Fjords, the vessel has been called "one of the most innovative ship designs ever seen on the Norwegian fjords."

The 42 metre long, 400 passenger capacity catamaran is noted to be built using lightweight carbon fibre composite, and has been classed by DNV GL.

The vessel is said to be equipped with a hybrid propulsion system developed by Mancraft, and can reach speeds of up to 19 knots.

"It is an honor for us to be awarded Ship of the Year 2016. This project has been a challenging journey from day one, combining an ambitious exterior design with new hybrid propulsion technology, all executed within 12 months," said Tor Øyvin Aa, managing director at Brødrene Aa.

"Vision of the Fjords is a product of a collective effort from the yard, operator and suppliers in a constructive dialogue with Norwegian Maritime Directory."

Last December, ABB said it would supply the vessel with a compact and lightweight version of its Onboard DC Grid system, which controls energy flow between the diesel engine, vessel propeller, and the battery charging station.