At 08:00 the ferry was put into regular scheduled traffic on Norway’s busiest ferry route.

The ferry between Moss and Horten carries 3.8 million passengers and 1.8 million vehicles annually, and is the largest ferry in the world to operate entirely on electric power.

– It is important for us to take our social responsibilities seriously and we want to contribute as much as we can to environmental change. The start-up of Bastø Electric is a milestone, not only for us, but also for the development of emission-free ferry technology both in Norway and internationally, said Øyvind Lund, managing director of Bastø Fosen, which operates the ferry service.

Uses Norwegian batteries

According to the company, emissions on the ferry service will be reduced by 75 percent by 2022 – the equivalent of around 10,000 new petrol cars.

– Electrification of ship traffic is one of the most effective steps we can take as a society to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Norway is a world leader in the development of this type of technology and throughout this year we will have as many as 70 electric ferries in Norway, said Siemens Energy CEO Bjørn Einar Brath.

It is the Siemens battery factory in Trondheim that supplies Bastø Fosen batteries and charging systems for fast charging.

[ – Dette er en stor milepæl for oss ]

– Tourists will immediately notice the difference

This ferry is the first of three battery-powered ferries on the route.

The Bastø Electric vessel is almost 140 meters long and can carry up to 600 passengers and 200 cars or 24 trucks.

The ferry will have between 20 and 24 departures from Moss and Horten each day.

– Travelers from both sides of the fjord will immediately notice the difference from the old ferries. Bastø Electric has much lower noise levels, and is considered more comfortable, says Øyvind Lund.

The ferry was built in Türkiye in 20 months. See a video of the page here: