Expedition cruise operator, Hurtigruten, in a partnership with start-up company, Brim Explorer, is introducing a battery-operated catamaran, custom-built for Polar water exploration.
The 24m vessel, capable of carrying 140 passengers, will operate daily silent and sustainable ocean excursions from its homeport Longyearbyen on the Arctic island of Svalbard from mid-2020.
The units will feature large battery packs and will be able to recharge at virtually any port and operate on batteries for up to 10 hours with a cruising speed of 10 knots, according to the company.
The explorer catamarans will feature hydrophones and underwater drones, which are being introduced to several of Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ships.
Hurtigruten is currently in the process of completely rebuilding existing ships to run on a combination of large battery packs, liquefied natural gas, and biogas.
