The ferry Bjarkøy (yard number B620/1), built by the Gdańsk-based yard Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A., has begun sea trials. The vessel was constructed for Norwegian ferry operator Torghatten Nord AS and is expected to be delivered to the owner in the near future before entering commercial service.

Sea trials mark one of the key stages in the execution of the project, directly preceding final acceptance and handover of the vessel to the shipowner. The ferry’s name refers to the island of Bjarkøy, highlighting the local nature of the services operated by the company and the vessel’s close ties with the region in which it will operate.

During sea trials, the performance of all major equipment and systems is tested under operational conditions. This includes verification of the vessel’s technical parameters, achieved speed, manoeuvrability, and the operation of propulsion and onboard systems. The trials are intended to confirm the ferry’s readiness for safe and efficient service for the coming decades.

Construction of the vessel was carried out under a contract signed in December 2023. The design was prepared by The Norwegian Ship Design Company AS, supported in the preparation of working documentation by Remontowa Marine Design & Consulting, part of Remontowa Holding. Steel cutting began in May 2024, while the keel was laid in July of the same year. The vessel was launched nearly a year later, after which the yard continued outfitting work and final preparations, completing some tasks typically carried out after harbour acceptance tests (SAT) before the vessel’s departure for sea trials. All major works have now been completed, with only organisational and housekeeping activities remaining ahead of delivery to the shipowner.

According to the yard, the ferry, carrying yard number B620, had been fully ready for sea trials since mid-January 2026. The start of the trials was delayed by adverse weather conditions and a solid ice cover of up to 50 cm on the Martwa Wisła. Until 24 February, the same conditions also prevented the opening of the Gdańsk Shipyard Bridge, which provides the only access route from the yard’s basin to open waters.

The ferry has an overall length of 63.65 metres and a beam of 15.5 metres. It is designed to accommodate up to 149 people on board, including passengers and crew, and can carry up to 50 passenger cars. The vessel is equipped with two azimuth thrusters with vertically mounted electric motors, powered primarily by batteries or, in emergency situations, by auxiliary generator sets. Under normal operating conditions, the batteries will be recharged from the shore grid during loading and unloading operations. Particular emphasis in the design was placed on the use of lightweight materials and the implementation of a wide range of low-loss solutions and systems, enabling maximum reductions in energy consumption.

Following delivery, the ferry will operate on the Stornes–Bjørnerå ferry route in the Troms region, covering the distance between the terminals in no more than 12 minutes. The maximum number of passengers on board, including the crew, is 149. The vessel is also capable of transporting up to 50 passenger cars and six heavy goods vehicles.

Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. first established cooperation with Torghatten Nord AS in 2009. Between 2012 and 2013, the yard delivered four LNG-fuelled ferries to the operator — Landegode, Væroy, Barøy and Lødingen — which serve passenger and vehicle traffic in the Lofoten archipelago. The operator currently runs 43 ferry connections as well as 15 routes served by high-speed passenger vessels.