Hurtigruten Norway has initiated one of Europe’s largest environmental ship upgrades, which will mean that the rebuilt ships will cut CO2 emissions by 25% and NOx emissions by as much as 80%.
The upgrades, to be completed in 2023, will affect Hurtigruten Norway’s seven Norwegian Coastal Express ships.
Hedda Felin, CEO, Hurtigruten Norway, said: “This is the largest environmental upgrade in Hurtigruten’s history, and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. This will make a real impact in reducing emissions in Norwegian waters. The fact that such an investment also leads to ripple effects in the local communities along the coast, is something we are very proud of.”
Three of the seven ships will be converted to hybrid ships. The first one is Richard With, which is currently at Myklebust Yard in northwestern Norway, where the ship will be fitted with new main engines and battery packs. The same will also be done on board Kong Harald and Nordlys.
Three other ships – Nordnorge, Nordkapp and Polarlys – will also be upgraded, and have SCR facilities installed on board. This will reduce NOx emissions by 80%. The last ship in the fleet, Vesterålen, was upgraded with new engines and SCR in 2019.
Felin said: “Our goal is zero emissions. But the technology is not mature enough yet, and we must do what we can to cut emissions with the best technology available today and extend the service life of the iconic ships we have in our fleet.”
The hybrid conversions will be carried out under an agreement with Kongsberg Maritime.
Egil Haugsdal, President, Kongsberg Maritime, said: “This is one of the largest environmental vessel upgrades to be undertaken in Europe. Hurtigruten Norway makes sustainable choices for its existing fleet. It’s rewarding to work with a company that shares our forward-looking approach to technology and the environment, and not least to work on ships that so many people have a close relationship with.“
Myklebust Yard is commissioned to carry out the upgrades of to the first two ships, Richard With, which will return from yard on 9 August, to be followed by Kong Harald and then Nordlys.
Kongsberg Maritime is responsible for design work and upgrades on the three ships that will undergo the largest upgrade: Richard With, Nordlys and Kong Harald, which will be equipped for hybrid operation with large battery packs and new Norwegian-made engines. All Hurtigruten Norway’s seven ships will be fitted with SCR systems. All ships in the fleet already have shore power capability. The upgrades include several other changes such as new propeller blades, hull optimisation, new bulbous bow, new gears, generators, and new control systems. The large-scale upgrade means that all Hurtigruten Norway’s seven Costal Express ships will comply with IMO Tier III, currently the strictest international standard for NOx emissions.
The upgrades include the installation of new wastewater treatment plants to minimise emissions to sea. Hurtigruten Norway will also use certified biofuels on a large scale to cut CO2 emissions.
