Medstraum: Design and Operation of the First Zero-Emission Fast Catamaran

The paper deals with the design, construction and the early operation of the worldwide 1st battery driven high-speed catamaran passenger ferry MS Medstraum. The paper elaborates on unique issues of the design process, on the superior hydrodynamic performance, on the modular construction of vessel and on the land-based electrical/charging installation. MS Medstraum was built by Fjellstrand AS and was launched in early June 2022. After successful sea trials that superseded the expectations of designers, builders and operators, achieving a maximum speed of over 27 knots, it started operations in the Stavanger/Norway area in late September 2022. The prototype character of MS Medstraum led to its selection as "Ship of the Year 2022" at the major international maritime exhibition SMM 2022 (September 2022, Hamburg). The presented research is in the frame of the H2020 funded project "TrAM - Transport: Advanced and Modular" (www.tramproject.eu).