VIDEO: Hurtigruten unveils plans for zero-emission cruise ship

Written by Nick Blenkey
Concept drawing of zero-emission cruise ship

Zero-emission cruise ship will have will have three retractable, autonomous wing rigs. [Image: Vard]

Hurtigruten Norway used this week’s Nor Shipping event to unveiled early concept plans for its first zero-emission cruise ship. Initially announced in March 2022, under the project name Sea Zero, Hurtigruten has been developing the design with a consortium of 12 maritime partners and research institute SINTEF.

“When we initially announced the Sea Zero project over a year ago, we were faced with the challenge of not knowing which technologies would be available to us in 2030,” said Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway. “Our task was to pave the way for new innovations and enhance existing ones to align with our sustainability objectives. We have pinpointed the most promising technologies for our groundbreaking future cruise ships. We are committed to delivering a ship that surpasses all others in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability within just a few years.”

In line with its focus on sustainable operations tailored to the Norwegian coast, Hurtigruten Norway plans for smaller, custom-built ships that leave a positive footprint with zero emissions to both sea and land.

The new zero-emission cruise ship is modeled at 135 meters (443 feet) long, with 270 cabins that hold 500 guests and 99 crew. Just as Hurtigruten Norway has been transporting cargo along the Norwegian coast for 130 years, the new ship will also have a significant cargo hold and transport cars.

With the first ship ready in 2030, the company plans to transform its entire fleet to zero-emission vessels. Since only 0.1% of ships worldwide currently use zero-emission technology, Hurtigruten Norway’s project aims to drastically improve the larger cruise industry’s sustainability record and the future of travel.

Hurtigruten Norway’s future zero-emission cruise ships will be electric and equipped with batteries that charge in port. Combining 60-megawatt battery solutions with wind technology, the ship is expected to feature numerous firsts and improved solutions that do not exist on cruise ships today, including retractable sails with solar panels, artificial intelligence maneuvering, contra-rotating propellers, and multiple retractable thrusters. Additional technologies include air lubrication, advanced hull coating, and proactive hull cleaning.

Battery levels will be displayed on the ship’s external sides, while the bridge is expected to be reduced significantly in size, to be more like an airplane cockpit, thanks to the use of AI in navigation/.

Hurtigruten Norway has operated along the Norwegian coast for 130 years and has extensive knowledge of the 34 ports it stops at daily. It will use AI to collect data and learn the most efficient docking and undocking methods for each port, improving in-port operations in bad or challenging weather.

The ship will have three retractable, autonomous wing rigs with 1,500 square meters of solar panels, and a total wind surface of 750 square meters and reaching a maximum height of 50 meters when fully extended.

zero-emission cruise ship
Image: Vard

Hurtigruten Norway strives for superior guest comfort and spectacular views on board its first zero-emission ship. A streamlined shape will result in less air resistance, reduce energy use, and increase passenger comfort. In addition to ample outdoor space, enlarged surface areas with dedicated windows will allow for unparalleled views of what is often described as the world’s most beautiful coastline.

Fincantieri’s Norwegian headquartered Vard subsidiary has created the concept visuals.

“We are developing the concept for the world’s most innovative cruise design and researching to find the optimal design methods suitable for zero-emission ships,” says Vard’s research and innovation manager, Henrik Burvang. “The streamlined shape, with its innovative hull and propulsion solutions, not only reduces energy demand but also increases passenger comfort. In the process, we are developing new design tools and exploring new technologies for energy efficiency.”

Guests will play a key role in minimizing energy consumption through an interactive mobile app, where they can operate ultra-modern cabin ventilation, as well as measure their own water and energy consumption.

Sea Zero has now entered a two-year phase in which the proposed technologies will be tried, tested, and developed further in pursuit of the final zero-emission ship. The current research and development phase focuses on battery production, propulsion technology, hull design, and sustainable practices that reduce energy use to an absolute minimum. Developing new technologies for onboard hotel operations, which can consume up to 50% of the ship’s total energy use, will be crucial to the project’s success. The goal is a 50% energy reduction compared to Hurtigruten Norway’s current ships.

Meantime, Hurtigruten Norway is working towards its first zero-emission ship, the company is currently undertaking one of the most extensive environmental upgrades in European maritime history with its existing fleet. Two of the seven ships have been upgraded to battery-hybrid-powered ships, with a third to be upgraded this fall. The five other vessels are being outfitted with various technologies that will cut CO² emissions by 25% and NOx (nitrogen oxides) by 80%. In 2019, sister company Hurtigruten Expeditions introduced the world’s first battery-hybrid-powered ship, MS Roald Amundsen; the Expeditions arm now has three battery-hybrid ships out of its seven-ship fleet.

Hurtigruten’s partners in the Sea Zero project are:

  • SINTEF
  • Cavotec Cavotec SA
  • Vard
  • Brunvoll
  • Plug
  • Corvus Energy
  • DNV
  • Sustainable Energy Catapult
  • Teknotherm
  • Jotun
  • Bergen Port
  • Norwegian Maritime Authority
  • Norske Havner

More on the Sea Zero project HERE

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