Norwegian company ZEM AS (Zero Emission Maritime Solutions) has entered into a partnership with the Philippine Association of Coastal and Inland Water Ferries (PACIWF) and IMP Shipyard & Port Services to develop the Philippines’ first prototype electric-hybrid ferry. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Manila during the Norway-Philippines Electric Ferries Conference 2025.
Under the agreement, PACIWF will handle government approvals and coordination, IMP Shipyard will design and build the vessel, and ZEM AS will supply and install the electric propulsion system. According to ZEM AS’s leadership, the project aims to introduce clean propulsion solutions into Philippine waters, demonstrating that sustainability and operational efficiency can coexist.
The e-ferry will operate with both battery and diesel power to reduce fuel consumption, noise and emissions. Philippine maritime authorities view the initiative as aligned with the nation’s transport modernisation plans and expect the prototype to serve as a model for replication along coastal provinces and inland waterways.
Construction is slated to begin in 2026, with the prototype intended to support the Integrated Modernization Program for the Coastal and Inland Water Transport System (CIWTS) under the Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028.