Norled's MF Hydra, the first liquid-powered ferry, achieves significant operational milestones

Norled’s MF Hydra, powered by Ballard's FCwave™ marine-grade fuel cell module, is the world’s first commercial passenger and car ferry fueled by liquid hydrogen and has now been in operation since March 2023.

Achieving several major operational milestones in its first year of operation, the zero-emission vessel has now conducted more than 20,000 crossings of the Hjelmeland-Skipavik-Nesvik triangular route in Norway in 18 months, powered by Ballard's FCwave™ hydrogen fuel cell engine.

Furthermore, in June 2024 the MF Hydra improved on its own bunkering record (refueling a marine vessel) at the Viganeset lumber quay in Hjelmeland, Norway; delivering a bunkering rate of more than 70kg per minute. As a result, the ferry is able to turn around bunkering in approximately one hour and continue seamless zero-emission operation for up to two weeks before the need to refuel.

"With the significant breakthroughs we have made in the last 18 months, the entire Norled team has a lot to be proud of – and we are continuing to take pioneering steps to advance to decarbonize marine. This is a substantial leap towards the goal of zero emissions for the maritime industry. Thank you to all involved - partners, suppliers, yard, and the fantastic Norled employees."

Erlend Hovland Chief Technology Officer, Norled

The MF Hydra can carry up to 295 passengers and 80 vehicles and is driven by two Ballard FCwave™ fuel cell engines totalling 400kW of power. The module is tested and certified by DNV, Lloyd’s Register and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for service in marine environments and is scalable from 200kW to megawatts to suit a varied range of industry applications.

Ballard’s FCwave™ fuel cell module facilitates scalable power output and flexible integration onto the individual vessel. With an extremely compact footprint, the module can deliver up to 1.2MW of power utilizing six 200kW fuel cells. FCwave™ is a catalyst in accelerating net-zero technology to meet the International Maritime Organization’s ambitious global targets to cut emissions from ships by at least 50% by 2050.  

The FCwave™ was the world's first fuel cell module to achieve marine Type Approval certification and is now certified by DNV, Lloyd's Register, and ABS.