Swedish start-up designs futuristic catamaran for city commuters

An innovative new catamaran design will soon be speeding up waterborne transport in Sweden. Start-up Green City Ferries says their Beluga24 design will be energy efficient, sustainable, and fast, with capacity for 150 passengers and space for 30 bicycles.

Built of carbon fibre with a midships foil, the battery-powered catamaran was developed in partnership with Teknicraft of New Zealand and Sculli Design Studio in Italy, and is projected to enter service in 2023.

“With BELUGA 24 we are demonstrating a high-speed emission-free alternative to diesel ferries that also costs less to operate,” said Fredrik Thornell, newly appointed CEO of Green City Ferries.

“We expect a consumption of 30 kWh per nautical mile at 30 knots, which is almost half of what a conventional catamaran consumes.”