MF HYDRA, a sustainable and innovative ferry designed by Sembcorp Marine’s subsidiary LMG Marin AS, has won the prestigious Ship of the Year Award given by Skipsrevyen, a 50 year-old Nordic maritime magazine publication house.
The MF HYDRA is a zero-emission vessel operated by Norled and will be the world’s first vessel to be powered by liquid hydrogen. At more than 82m long with a capacity of up to 300 passengers and 80 cars, MF HYDRA operates at a service speed of about nine knots.
Equipped with an 80m3 liquid hydrogen tank, the vessel is able to ply its route in the fjord area between Hjelmeland, Nesvik and Skipavik for up to three weeks without refuelling. Its sophisticated propulsion system allows batteries to operate in conjunction with the liquid fuel hydrogen fuel cells and also includes a redundancy feature that allows the ferry to sail on biodiesel.
At the Awards ceremony held on 8 September 2021, the Norwegian Prime Minister Ms Erna Solberg made a speech via electronic broadcast and said that MF HYDRA was a ground-breaking project that challenged traditional technological solutions and design.
LMG Managing Director Mr Torbjorn Bringedal said, “As the world’s first ship powered by liquid hydrogen, MF HYDRA is a game-changer for the marine industry. It will pave the way for the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel for shipping and support the International Maritime Organization’s goal to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. LMG Marin, with our extensive track record of innovative naval architecture, is proud to contribute to global decarbonisation efforts and a more sustainable world for current and future generations.”
Headquartered in Singapore, the Group has close to 60 years of track record in the design and construction of rigs, floaters, offshore platforms and specialised vessels, as well as in the repair, upgrading and conversion of different ship types. Sembcorp Marine’s solutions focus on the following areas: Renewables, Process, Gas, Ocean Living and Advanced Drilling Rigs.
LMG Marin, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine, is one of Europe’s leading naval architect and ship design houses. It brings to the Sembcorp Marine Group an extensive portfolio of design patents and expertise in naval architectural design, engineering and technology development.
LMG Marin’s portfolio includes floating structures, platforms and a wide variety of ship types, such as drillships, floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSO), floating storage and offloading vessels (FSO), offshore support vessels (OSV), LNG carriers, LNG-powered ships, car ferries and cruise ships.
Established in 1943, LMG Marin is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, with offices in Poland and France. Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine completed the acquisition of LMG Marin in August 2016.
(Source: Sembcorp Marine)