Plug and sail: A closer look at Norway’s electric maritime turn

With a seafaring legacy stretching back to the age of the Vikings, Norway is no stranger to charting a firm course ahead. This time, the ships are sailing toward a zero-emission future. As the nation continues solidifying its role as a front-runner in sustainable maritime operations, momentum keeps building around autonomous shipping, electric propulsion and clean vessel technologies, underlined by policy support and industry (re)alignments.

Norway, the world’s fifth largest shipping nation, has had a “unique” starting point when it comes to the energy transition, considering an abundance of available and relatively affordable green power (such as hydropower). This has enabled the country to electrify a great number of homes and businesses with solutions that produce limited greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

On top of that, as a significant exporter of oil and gas, Norway has been, in many ways, the ‘backbone’ of Europe, having exported a total of 117.6 billion cubic meters of gas via pipelines in 2024, according to Gassco, a state-owned oil and gas player.

Through nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, the country had also initially committed to slashing emissions by at least 50-55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). This target was recently pushed for 2035 – but it was also turned more ambitious.

Namely, the Norwegian government breathed new life into its environmental policy, having announced in mid-April this year that it would aim to cut as much as 70-75% of harmful pollutant emissions by 2035.

The nation has endeavored to replicate its inland progress onto shipping and maritime tourism, especially in some of its most sensitive areas, like the World Heritage Fjords. Namely, in mid-April this year, the government announced that requirements would be set for small and large tourist ships and ferries to operate on clean power and produce zero emissions starting from January 1, 2026 (and January 1, 2032 for larger vessels).

To meet its climate goals in maritime, Norway has placed significant emphasis on port electrification, shore power initiatives as well as green shipbuilding projects related to units (primarily ferries) running on an electric propulsion system.

In fact, the country has implemented a policy that requires all ferries operating along its coastline to transition to electric propulsion by 2030. As understood, the policy is hoped to accelerate the adoption of electric and hybrid technologies across a wider range of vessel types.

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Since launching its first all-electric ferry MF Ampere, which celebrated its 10th birthday in February this year, Norway is believed to have produced somewhere between 80 and 90 more units running on battery power, with numerous newbuilding projects lined up for its shipping players.

Between 2020 and 2025, there was a number of developments within this sphere. For instance:

• in 2020, the 80-meter autonomous boxship Yara Birkeland was delivered to its owner, chemical company Yara International;
• in December 2021, the 143-meter-long Bastø Electric commenced operations, serving the route between Horten and Moss, marking a ‘big’ step toward reducing emissions in Norway’s transport sector;
• by 2024, shipping company Havila Kystruten was running a fleet of four 640-berth, eco-friendly hybrid ships, running on gas and battery;
• in April 2025, NB1091 Hinnøy—hailed as Norway’s largest zero-emission ferry—embarked on its maiden voyage.

In addition to this, seeking pathways toward decarbonizing ferry transportation further, particularly around the Oslo Fjord, tourism agency and marine technology developer Brim Explorer, founded in 2018 by CEO Agnes Árnadóttir and Espen Larsen-Hakkebo, the CTO, has engineered and put into service five electric and hybrid electric ships so far.

By 2026, Brim Explorer is anticipated to add another newbuilding to its roster, featuring an “optimized” designed that would be crafted by the company’s arm Brim Tech.

As informed, Brim Tech is behind the technology driving all five of the units. Specifically, Brim Tech has engineered and supplied the propulsion systems for the vessels, including, for instance, two 350 kW high-torque electric motors paired with 1,700 mm fixed-pitch propellers (equipped onto the MS Bard unit), twin 1,000 kW electric motors and a 1.1 MWh battery system (outfitted onto MS Bre).

According to Brim Explorer’s representatives, the company also seeks to provide “zero-emission” tourism services beyond Oslo, with an emphasis on deploying its eco-friendly ships to routes toward Lofoten, Tromsø and Bodø.

A critical component of Norway’s electrification efforts are energy storage systems. The country’s rugged geography, harsh weather, and long coastline demand battery solutions that are powerful and also reliable as well as safe across a range of ship segments. This has positioned marine battery technology as a central puzzle piece—one that domestic manufacturers are increasingly expected to solve.

Corvus Energy, headquartered in Bergen, has been seen as one of the most important suppliers in this space, operating both domestically and internationally. Its battery systems have been deployed in dozens of hybrid and electric units. Nevertheless, like others in the sector, the company must balance rapid production with stringent safety and certification standards—especially as vessels demand higher energy density and faster charging.

Arendal-based manufacturer Morrow Batteries, a relatively new entrant with a focus on sustainable lithium-ion production, has also set its sights on maritime applications. The technology player sees potential in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMOx) batteries in maritime applications, describing them as a “dependable” option for shipowners looking for technologies that offer ‘high’ energy-capacity and faster charging, two issues that are pivotal for further electrification and introduction of electric ships.

It is important to note, however, that firms such as Morrow, Corvus and others in the sector face a set of shared hurdles. Chief among them are understood to be supply chain volatility, raw material sourcing, and the challenge of scaling up while meeting specialized performance guidelines.

Although battery-electric propulsion is widely accepted as viable for short-sea transportation and inland routes, concerns persist over lifespan, weight and fire safety—even more so for those units servicing longer or more exposed stretches of sea. Even so, as Morrow Batteries as well as Brim Explorer have confirmed to Offshore Energy, demand in Norway shows few (if any) signs of slowing.

In this case, the next few years may determine not only how the domestic supply will transform but also whether the country’s marine battery segment can evolve into a more global export industry.