Hurtigruten's new fleet goes green

Hurtigruten will launch the world's first-ever adventure tourism expedition to sail fully electric with sustainable hybrid technology.

According to GLP, which represents Hurtigruten in Canada, the new technology will reduce fuel emissions by 20 per cent and be able to sail silently through fjords and polar waters. Hurtigruten will be introducing four new cruise ships with two of them ready in 2018 and 2019.

Two new state-of-the-art vessels will be designed and customized specifically for adventure-rich expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as along the Norwegian coastline. They will be equipped with advanced environmentally-friendly technology to reduce emissions and the carbon footprint.

Partnering with Rolls-Royce, Hurtigruten is developing four new eco-friendly ships, with the first two ships slated to arrive in 2018 and 2019. Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skeldam says that the fleet will be “the world’s first ever adventure tourism expedition to sail fully electric with sustainable hybrid technology.”

The new technology allows ships to sail utilizing electric propulsion only for periods of 15 to 30 minutes at a time thus minimizing noise and emissions. Each ship will also come equipped with battery packs and solar panels will also be used and fitted on the ship’s exterior. The first two ships named after polar explorers, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, will hold up to 530 passengers in 265 cabins and feature the new hybrid engines as well as specially built ice strengthened hulls.

The new ships will offer a host of activities for adventure seekers from climbing and kayaking to whale and sea eagle safaris. Hurtigruten’s expeditions will explore the world’s most beautiful and unspoilt natural surroundings while offering lectures on the destination’s history, zoology, botany, and environmental science. Experienced expedition teams will accompany passengers on educational excursions to isolated places only accessible by zodiac boats.

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