VESSEL REVIEW | NZK Pont 103 – Amsterdam’s GVB welcomes fourth electric ferry in series

Gemeente Vervoerbedrijf (GVB), the municipal public transport operator that serves the Dutch city of Amsterdam, has christened the newest addition to its fleet of Ro-Pax ferries.

Built by the Holland Shipyards Group (HSG) to a design by local engineering firm C-Job Naval Architects, NZK Pont 103 is the fourth vessel in a series of five all-electric ferries that are slated to replace the older diesel-powered vessels in the GVB fleet. All five of these new ferries will be in service by 2023 and will be in operation on the North Sea Canal to connect their homeport of Amsterdam with the nearby city of Zaandam. In addition to boasting quieter operation and lower emissions, the newbuildings were designed to feature better wind resistance compared to the conventionally-powered vessels that they will replace.

Like its sisters, NZK Pont 103 has a length of 42 metres, a beam of 13 metres, a draught of 2.4 metres, and two 300kW electric motors that deliver a speed of 9.1 knots. Up to 400 passengers and 20 cars can be transported on the unobstructed three-lane vehicle deck, which has a total capacity for 245 tonnes. Passengers and bicycles are accommodated in dedicated areas with safety barriers separating them from any embarked vehicles. The barriers can be repositioned on the vehicle deck for trips where there will be fewer vehicles and more passengers.

Loading and unloading of vehicles and passengers is done via ramps at the bow and the stern, thus eliminating the need for the ferry to re-orient itself when approaching or departing jetties.

The vessel draws electrical power from a Corvus Energy lithium-ion battery pack with a total rated output of 680 kWh. Charging of the batteries is done at two jetties that are each with 1,600kW shore power facilities. Multiple round trips can be completed on a single full charge.

For emergencies, the ferry is also fitted with a backup diesel generator.

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