Norwegian cruise operator, Hurtigruten, has launched the world’s first-ever hybrid electric-powered expedition ship, MS Roald Amundsen in a bid to reduce its carbon emissions and implement a more sustainable business practice. The name came from the first Norwegian explorer to have crossed the Northwest Passage to reach the South Pole.
The vessel can accommodate 530 passengers and features state of the art technology. The battery-powered technology is most notable, as it will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 20%.
Speaking to Forbes, Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said: ‘Sustainability is and has been a key part of our business for a while and we have chosen to lead the industry in innovation regarding sustainability and sustainable technology on the ship and that is a crucial part of driving the company forward.
‘We believe that businesses should be leading to a much larger extent than they do today and that’s why we’ve chosen to lead by example and why Hurtigruten is doing a lot of investment in this area.’
The passenger liner is the first to use this level of hybrid tech and designed specifically for Polar regions. These include Norway, Greenland, Alaska, Canada and Antarctica.
According to Forbes, excess energy from the engine is converted into energy for the two battery packs on board. The excess energy from the battery is used to give the ship more power as needed. The ship is able to function exclusively on electric power for short time periods if necessary.
Skjeldam believes that the rest of the cruise industry should implement greener, sustainable practices.
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