When Bastø Electric entered service in Norway in March 2021, it was the world's largest all-electric ferry—139.2 meters long, carrying 600 passengers and 200 cars on a 4.3-MWh battery. Five years on, the vessel stands as a proof point for ferry electrification, according to a recent report from Amsterdam.
Separately, interest is building in exporting that know-how. Almost a year after the first Norway-Philippines Electric Ferries Conference in Manila, enthusiasm for electric and hybrid propulsion appears to be gaining traction, with Norwegian maritime expertise seen as a potential fit for the archipelago's ferry network.
The two stories complement each other: one shows what electrified ferries can achieve in practice, the other explores where that technology might go next. Neither source suggests the Philippine market is a done deal, but both point to growing momentum behind cleaner coastal transport.