Press release -
The flying ferries return to Trondheim — this time electric
Trondheim’s fjords will soon be navigated by the world’s fastest electric passenger vessel, the Candela P-12 — saving commuters hours and bringing flying ships back to the city’s waterways.
Starting on 17 December and stretching into January, the Candela P-12 — the world’s first electric hydrofoil ferry — will operate between Frosta Brygge and Trondheim as part of the Frostabåten project, a collaboration between real estate developers, Trondheim’s technical university NTNU, and the regional and municipal authorities.
With a cruise speed of 25 knots and an all-electric range of 40 nautical miles, the P-12 is the fastest and longest-range electric passenger vessel in the world. It offers a new solution to Trondheim’s — and Norway’s — commuting challenges. Fjords carve deep inlets into the landscape, making the shortest route directly across the water, but the high operating costs of ferries have meant that residents are often limited to land-based transport only.
Today, residents of Frosta — a newly built seaside community with sweeping fjord views — must travel by car or bus into central Trondheim, a journey of roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes. With the P-12 crossing the fjord, the trip takes just 30 minutes, saving commuters around two hours per day.
The Frostabåten project thus revives a much missed ferry service on this route, which was discontinued in 1970 — and briefly operated with a diesel-powered PT-20 hydrofoil (image link) during its last year. That vessel offered fast travel times but proved too costly to run.
“We’re bringing flying boats back to Trondheim — but this time they are electric, whisper quiet, and vastly more efficient,” says Alexander Sifvert, Head of Candela’s European operations.
The P-12 is not only zero-emission; it is also far more cost-efficient to operate than traditional vessels. Its advantage lies in its efficient C-POD drivetrain and computer-controlled hydrofoils, which lift the boat above the surface, reducing energy consumption by a staggering 80% compared with conventional hulls. Electricity is also inexpensive in Trondheim, where hydropower dominates the energy mix. The result is a vessel with operating costs on par with land-based transport, such as buses.
The P-12’s efficiency also addresses the bottleneck that has slowed Norway’s otherwise ambitious electrification of its diesel ferry fleet. Despite national mandates for zero-emission fjords, strong political backing, electrifying high-speed routes has proven difficult: conventional hull electric fast ferries consume too much energy, require expensive megawatt-level charging systems, and offer limited range. The P-12, by contrast, charges from an inexpensive and mobile car-style DC charger.
“Norway is a global front-runner in electrification. With nearly 100% adoption of electric cars, the waterways are the next frontier of disruption. With our technology, that shift can not only become far cheaper than operating diesel vessels but also make new routes viable — or, as in the case of Frosta, revive routes that were not commercially sustainable when competing with road traffic,” says Alexander Sifvert at Candela.
The project is carried out in partnership with Frosta Brygge, Trondheim Port, the Ocean Autonomy Cluster, the NTNU Shore Control Lab, and others. Testing will continue from 15 January 2025 until January 2026 to evaluate the technology, operations, and potential for future routes.
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Stockholm-based Candela Technology AB is the world leader in hydrofoiling electric vessels. The company was founded in 2014 by engineer and business leader Gustav Hasselskog with the mission to accelerate the world's transition to fossil fuel-free lakes and oceans by developing electric vessels that outperform those powered by fossil fuels.
Candela's watercraft have wings (hydrofoils) that lift the hull above the water and reduce friction, using 80% less energy than conventional ships at high speed. This technology allows for long-range water travel solely on battery power, a first in the industry. Candela's hydrofoils also enable operators to transition to sustainable fleets by providing up to 50% lower operational costs.
At the heart of Candela's hydrofoil tech stack is the Flight controller, which automatically stabilizes the vessel during flight by regulating the foils, using sensors that gauge wave height and wind speed, among other factors. Even in rough weather, passengers experience 90% less g-forces than they would on a traditional boat. All Candela vessels are fully connected and receive over-the-air updates.
After five years of research and development, Candela began producing the world's first electric hydrofoil leisure boat in 2019, the Candela C-7 open "roadster of the seas". This was followed in 2022 by the high-volume market Candela C-8, which was delivered to the first customers in spring 2023. Over 150 C-8 units have been sold to date, and the vessel has been lauded as a "game changer" by Motorboat and Yachting magazine, winning numerous awards including the 2022 European Powerboat of the Year award for its superior seakeeping, long range, and high speed.
In 2023, Candela launched its first commercial vessel, the Candela P-12 Shuttle ferry. It is the fastest and longest-range electric ship ever built, with a top speed of 30 knots and a range of 40 nautical miles at 25 knots. It is also the most energy-efficient fast ship ever made in its size class. Substantial operational cost savings are expected. The first unit enters service in Stockholm's public transport system in 2024.
Candela is a technology company with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, employing over 200 engineers, technicians, and production staff. The company develops the entire tech stack, from the C-POD motor to the control system and carbon fiber hulls, in-house. Candela's two wholly-owned factories in Stockholm, Sweden, produce the Candela C-8 and P-12 vessels. The company also has leisure boat resellers in 12 countries and wholly-owned sales offices in San Francisco, USA, and Cannes, France.
