Hurtigruten is working towards producing its first ever zero-emission ship by 2030, saying this is its most ambitious sustainability initiative in its 130-year history.
To reach the ‘Sea Zero’ goal, Hurtigruten is partnering with Norwegian research organisation SINTEF to explore solutions in energy efficiency and battery electric power.
Early concept designs feature a large 60MWh battery bank, retractable wind and solar sails, enhanced AI-assisted manoeuvring, retractable thrusters, smart cabins with live energy monitoring, and more.
The line will ultimately launch the ship from its home coast in Norway.
“Though our goal is zero emissions, we are doing what we can with the ships and the technology we have today. That is why we’ve invested €100m (R2bn) of upgrades for our existing fleet of seven ships, including transforming three ships to use hybrid-power. By 2024, these changes will have cut CO2 emissions by 25% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80%,” says a Hurtigruten release.
