Brunvoll Mar-El with 9 MW charging system for Bergen ferries

December 18, 2023

Figure 2: Illustration of Fjord1’s new high speed passenger catamarans. The closest vessel will be a newbuild with low-emission propulsion system, and the two others will be retrofitted from hybrid to zero-emission. (Illustration: Brødrene Aa)

Brunvoll Mar-El will deliver the onshore charging system for the Bergen area fast ferries, more specifically on the Knarvik-Bergen and Kleppestø-Bergen routes. Brunvoll Mar-El has from earlier been contracted to deliver the electrical and hybrid system integration for the 3 ferries, and the contracts add up to both onboard and onshore system integration

Brunvoll Mar-El is a systems integrator in the market for power and weight optimized low-emission high-speed passenger vessels. With the new contracts, Brunvoll Mar-El moves from only delivering systems for vessels, to also being a ship to shore and quay side systems integrator. The facilities will be commissioned during 2024.

Figure 1. The vessels and routes will be equipped with both onboard and onshore energy systems by Brunvoll Mar-El. (Illustrations are credited to Brødrene Aa and Brunvoll.)

The charging capacity will be 5 MW in Kleppestø and 4 MW in Knarvik, and the system at Kleppestø can in addition charge two vehicles simultaneously. The charging system will consist of charging inverters, cable towers with megawatt charging systems, and Brunvoll Mar-El’s control system which handles the charging sequences and monitoring of the system. The Kleppestø solution will be delivered as a modularized container solution, with a complete technical room and pre-installed switchboards. Installation entails main switchboards and connection to transformer station and the local power grid.

“Ferry operator Fjord1 is pleased to sign a common system integrator both onshore and onboard for these high-speed passenger vessels, and thus get optimal integration in the total system package,” says Helge Asle Lundeberg, Managing Director of Brunvoll Mar-El.