World's first self-driving electric passenger ferry begins service in Stockholm

Founded in 2019, Zeabuz is a spin-off of the marine operations and research center at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology(NUST). The company is on a mission to make waterborne mobility sustainable and is also developing autonomous solutions for optimizing vessel operations.

The first autonomous ferry line

Together with Torghatten, one of Norway's prominent companies in maritime transportation, Zeabuz has unveiled its first ferry line which will run between Södermalm and Kungsholmen. The short ferry ride, which is expected to carry out 120 daily trips will help ease the congestion on the two road routes available between these destinations.

MF Estelle has an electric propulsion system powered by solar panels and can contain 24 passengers at a time. It has an autonomous navigation system powered by Zeabuz's cutting-edge technology although, it will have an onboard operator during the first phase of operations.

Initially, the ferry service will have four departures per hour, gradually increasing the frequency to cover 15 hours of operations every day. This phased approach will help Zeabuz optimize energy consumption in accordance to travel patterns.

Sustainable travel over water

In Stockholm, the company aims to offer virtual bridges over waterbodies helping decongest roads while also providing a convenient as well as non-polluting option for urban mobility.

The company is confident that its technology is scalable and can be applied across a wide spectrum of vessel types such as water shuttles, workboats, fast ferries, and car ferries, to provide improved means of water-based transport.

Stockholm will be the proving ground for the company, which aims to provide similar travel options to passengers in various cities of the world as well as a way to make connections between cities. Recently, Zeabuz teamed up with Yinson Green Tech, a Singapore-based company to apply its technology to electric harbor crafts.

With countries aiming to reduce carbon emissions from long-haul transport, the electrification of maritime vessels has assumed significance. Automated solutions are also expected to help improve the efficiency of these vessels.

A maritime major, Norway has taken the lead in the development of such technology. Recently, Interesting Engineering reported how shipbuilder Hurtigruten Norway is working to build the world's first emission-free cruise ship by the end of the decade. Powered by electric propulsion, the ship is designed to tap into solar and wind energy during its voyage and expects cruise members to be mindful of their energy footprint while traveling.