Ferries are an essential part of Norway's transport network. There are around 130 ferry services carrying 20 million cars and 40 million passengers each year.
When MF Ampere was built in 2014, it was the world’s first, large-size, battery-powered ferry. It can carry up to 120 cars and 360 passengers and crosses the Sognefjord, as part of the E39 European highway, between Lavik and Oppedal.
The hybrid ferry MF Svelvik took over the route between Svelvik and Verket in 2022 after MF Svelviksund was retired from service after 43 years. The crossing over the 184 metre wide strait in Drammensfjord takes roughly 5 minutes, making this the shortest ferry crossing in Norway.
MF Værøy is a gas-fuelled ferry, built in 2012 for the Torghatten Nord shipping company. It serves the route Bodø-Røst- Værøy-Moskenes across Vestfjord and can carry 390 passengers and 120 cars. It is one of the four ferries serving the Lofoten islands. The ferry route from Bodø to Røst, Værøy and Moskenes is not only the longest in Norway but also the most exposed.
The town of Kristiansund is spread across five large islands and a number of smaller ones. In 1876, the first ferry of the Kristiansund steamboat association was put into service for the people of the town to get around its islands. The Sundbåten ferries have been operating ever since. They have carried over 130 million passengers and are considered to be the heart of Kristiansund. MS Angvik came into operation in 2005 and has capacity for 70 passengers.
