The ferry was designed by LMG Marin and built by Westcon at their shipyard and is classified by DNV.
MF Hydra is 82.4 meters long with the ability to carry up to 300 passengers and 80 cars. The vessel can operate at a molded speed of 9 knots using Shottel thrusters. It features liquid hydrogen supplied by industrial gas and energy company Linde. Liquid hydrogen new 24MW electrolyzer at the Leuna Chemical Complex in Germany uses Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology to produce green hydrogen. The vessel specification includes an 80m3 (CBM) tank for hydrogen storage, which should allow it to decrease its yearly carbon emissions by up to 95%.
The vessel is also equipped with a LED lighting package from Glamox. This is an energy-efficient lighting solution with a long lifetime and produces considerably less waste than conventional light. It will not only save energy and maintenance costs, but by reducing emissions it is also good for the environment.
In 2017 Norled started seriously looking into fuel cells in response to a new tender for zero-emission powered car ferries through the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which specifically asked for hydrogen-powered fuel cells for the tender vessels. This led to Norled starting up technical development in the summer of 2017, where the tender bid was submitted in the autumn of 2018 and ultimately Norled won the tender.
According to the Internet
