Estonia Selects Steerprop for First Electric Passenger Ferry

Electric marine projects moved from demonstration toward commercial deployment as Estonia advanced its first fully electric passenger ferry, while manufacturers and infrastructure developers continued building the propulsion, battery and digital systems needed for broader electrified mobility.

At a glance: Estonia’s State Fleet selected Finnish propulsion specialist Steerprop to equip the country’s first fully electric passenger ferry, a project being built by Poland’s CRIST shipyard under a €49.93 million design and construction contract. The 95-metre vessel, designed by LMG Marin, will use a 3MWh battery system charged from renewable shore power, with auxiliary biodiesel generators reserved for severe weather and emergency operations. The ferry is planned for Ice Class 1B service, allowing operation in ice up to 60 centimetres thick, and is expected to enter service in late 2028. The development illustrates how electric marine programs are expanding beyond small recreational craft into publicly financed, cold-weather passenger transport. Separately, Bibby Marine’s battery-first electric commissioning service operation vessel entered the water at Armon Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, ahead of planned delivery in 2027. The vessel will receive its battery systems during subsequent outfitting.

Technology advance: ePropulsion introduced its X Series electric outboard range, consisting of the X12, X20 and X40 models, at the METSTRADE marine equipment exhibition. The launch expands the company’s portfolio across multiple propulsion power levels for electric boating applications, targeting recreational and professional users that need quieter operation, reduced local emissions and simplified drivetrain maintenance. The product family is designed around integrated electric propulsion rather than combustion-engine conversion, reflecting the industry’s effort to standardize motors, controls and energy storage across boat sizes. The announcement coincided with ePropulsion’s presence at the Barcelona Boat Show and Annapolis Sailboat Show, giving the manufacturer direct access to European and North American marine customers during a concentrated autumn trade-show period. The new range also demonstrates how electric outboard suppliers are using modular product families to address the fragmented marine market, where vessel weight, operating profile, charging access and required range vary substantially.

Partnerships: Lloyd’s Register, Shell and GTT launched a joint development project for a conceptual 200,000-cubic-metre liquefied natural gas carrier combining hybrid-electric propulsion with GTT’s NEXT1 cargo-containment technology. The collaboration links classification expertise, shipowner and energy-sector experience, and membrane-tank engineering in a single vessel study. Its purpose is to examine how hybrid-electric systems could be integrated into a larger LNG carrier while preserving cargo capacity and operational efficiency. The project is significant because the largest commercial ships face difficult electrification constraints: they require high continuous power, long operating ranges and substantial onboard energy reserves. Rather than treating batteries as a complete replacement for marine fuels in every application, the partners are evaluating hybrid architectures that can improve propulsion flexibility, reduce fuel consumption during selected operating modes and support more efficient vessel designs. The concept also places electrified propulsion within a broader transition pathway for ocean shipping, where vessel efficiency and alternative fuels are being developed in parallel.

Acquisitions/expansions: PowerCell Group received a follow-up order valued at $2.7 million, or SEK 27 million, from GMI Group for fuel-cell systems and engineering services supporting two additional hydrogen-electric bulk carriers. The order expands the collaboration from two vessels to four and covers 10 Marine System 225 fuel-cell units, providing more than 2 megawatts of power in total. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027 and 2028, extending the commercial pipeline for hydrogen-electric propulsion in a vessel class that typically demands long endurance and high installed power. The agreement represents an expansion of an existing fleet program rather than a one-off demonstrator, which is strategically relevant for suppliers seeking repeatable marine deployments. Fuel cells can convert hydrogen into electricity without combustion at the point of use, although practical adoption remains dependent on hydrogen availability, bunkering infrastructure, storage arrangements and total lifecycle economics. The larger order indicates that GMI is proceeding with a multi-vessel technology strategy.

Regulatory/policy: Norway’s Directorate for Civil Protection approved Azane Fuel Solutions to conduct a test bunkering operation involving up to 73 tonnes of ammonia aboard the Viking Energy platform supply vessel. The operation is scheduled for October or November 2026 at Stord, Norway, as part of the Apollo project and the vessel’s conversion to ammonia propulsion. The approval provides a defined regulatory pathway for handling a substantial quantity of ammonia in a marine setting, where toxicity, transfer procedures, emergency response and crew protection must be managed alongside propulsion performance. Although ammonia is not a battery-electric energy carrier, the project is directly relevant to the wider electrified marine supply chain because alternative-fuel vessels depend on new fuel systems, controls, safety protocols and port infrastructure. Demonstration bunkering also gives authorities and operators operational data needed to refine procedures before larger commercial deployments. The Viking Energy test therefore connects vessel conversion with the regulatory work required to make low-carbon propulsion practical at ports.

Finance/business: Steerprop’s electric-ferry equipment selection is embedded in a €49.93 million design and construction program for Estonia’s State Fleet, with €28 million co-funded through the European Union Modernisation Fund and Estonia’s emissions-quota trading mechanisms. The funding structure reduces the capital burden of deploying a first-of-its-kind national passenger vessel while linking the project to public decarbonization finance. Steerprop will supply two SP 25 contra-rotating propulsors using permanent-magnet motor drives, with equipment delivery scheduled for late 2027. The commercial timetable places propulsion manufacturing, shipyard integration and battery installation several years ahead of planned late-2028 operations, creating a visible procurement pipeline for marine electrification suppliers. The project’s financial model is notable because it combines a public fleet requirement, European climate funding and domestic emissions-market resources rather than relying solely on private investment. That structure could provide a template for other European authorities procuring electric vessels where upfront costs remain higher than conventional alternatives.

Sources: Maritime Executive, MarineLink, ePropulsion, Lloyd’s Register, PowerCell Group, Urban Air Mobility News