Hurtigruten Norway has launched its first environmentally upgraded battery-hybrid powered ship, MS Richard With. It is the first of seven in the Coastal Express fleet to be upgraded, and features technology that will substantially reduce both CO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.
Hurtigruten Norway has invested nearly $97 million towards green upgrades that will be implemented before the end of 2023. This move follows its sister company, Hurtigruten Expeditions, introducing its first battery-hybrid powered expedition ship, MS Roald Amundsen, in 2019. The expedition cruise brand has three battery-hybrid powered ships in its fleet.
Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway, shared that over the next year, all seven Coastal Express ships of the line will be upgraded to be more sustainable. The company is working on zero-emission vessels and plans to introduce the first emission-free ship in its fleet by 2030. “Becoming a green company means investing in efforts with documented effects, such as the ones we are doing now. As a result, by next summer, we will have three upgraded hybrid ships sailing the coast, and our entire fleet will be more energy efficient, cutting CO2 emissions by 25 percent and NOx by 80 percent,” said Felin.
MS Richard With has undergone extensive upgrades and been retrofitted with battery packages, new engines and new propulsion systems at Myklebust Yard in northwestern Norway.
The green upgrades on MS Richard With include:
- Conversion to a hybrid ship with two large battery packs (1,120kWh each) and new, more efficient Norwegian-made engines reduces CO2 emissions considerably with increased redundancy and safety
- SCR systems that cut NOx emissions by 80 percent
- New switchboards and power management systems
- New propeller blades, new bulbous bow, new gears and new control systems to minimize energy use
- New, modern navigational and maneuvering bridge systems
- Hull-optimization to reduce drag
- New boilers to improve heat recovery from main engines for reduced energy consumption used for heating
- New retractable azimuth thruster astern
- Installation of wastewater treatment plants to minimize emissions to sea
All ships in Hurtigruten Norway’s fleet already have shore power convertibility, eliminating emissions in ports with shore power available. The large-scale upgrade means that all Hurtigruten Norway’s seven Costal Express ships will have emissions equivalent to Tier III, the strictest international standard for NOx emissions. The company will also use certified biofuels to cut CO2 emissions.
For more information, visit www.hurtigruten.com.
Related Stories
Holland America Line Reports Positive Results for Biofuel Test
Explora Journeys to Build Two Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ships
Carnival Upgrades Global Fleet With Fuel- and Energy-Saving Tech
Cruise Passengers Expected to Surpass 2019 Levels by End of 2023