They are now
taking significant steps to upgrade their fleet.
For 130 years, Hurtigruten has sailed along the fjords of the Norwegian coast.
Technology from
Kongsberg Maritime
will ensure that travelling
"the world's most beautiful
sea voyage" is becoming
more sustainable.
Journalist: Siri Skaustein
Photo/video: Hurtigruten | Kongsberg Group
The world's most beautiful sea voyage is greener than ever
Kongsberg Maritime on its way to make Hurtigruten more eco-friendly
Standing on the deck of a Hurtigruten-ship is like being in the middle of a Nordic national romantic painting. Fjords, mountains, the scent of the sea, and, most importantly, the precious silence that brings you closer to nature. Norwegian fjords captivate travelers from both domestic and foreign lands.
Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten, shares that an ambitious initiative is ensuring that the traditional sea route along the Norwegian coast becomes both more environmentally friendly and quieter than before.
"Now you can sail the classic route along the world's most beautiful coastline, with fewer emissions and with state-of-the-art maritime equipment on board. And most importantly, you can enjoy the view without a loud engine hum."
Hedda Felin
CEO, Hurtigruten
Aiming to be World Leaders in sustainable tourism
The desire and need to transition to greener operations were the starting point for Hurtigruten's "sustainability push".
"Our motivation is always to reduce the carbon emissions from our fleet. We are part of an industry that has traditionally polluted too much, and the green transition has been slow. That's why it's crucial that we now take responsibility for our emissions and act on the things we can change today," says Felin.
The vessel has been equipped with a more modern and cleaner hybrid system. This new system can operate both electrically and on fuel and uses 20-25% less fuel than before. This optimizes operations and increases energy efficiency.
Good recycling of "old" ships
Kongsberg Maritime, in collaboration with Myklebust Verft, are behind the upgrades. There are several benefits to upgrading existing vessels, says Geir Oscar Løseth from Kongsberg Maritime.
"Upgrading a vessel this way is a much faster method of meeting environmental requirements than if a new one had to be built. The upgrade takes only four to five months and simultaneously extends the vessel's lifespan. This results in significant environmental savings."
"Keeping our fleet operational as long as possible is both economical and eco-friendly. It's more sustainable to upgrade a ship than to build a new one. It's good for the environment, for us, and for the guests who sail with us. It's crucial that future transport and tourism are sustainable."
CEO, Hurtigruten
Hedda Fellin
"We've worked closely with Kongsberg Maritime throughout the entire process. They have the expertise in design technology and product solutions development, while we specialize in retrofit implementation. This combination has proven to be very successful," he says.
Geir Oscar Løseth from Kongsberg Maritime fully agrees.
"Upgrading a vessel built in 1993 to today's technology is a significant task. We depended on integrating all systems and, importantly, everyone involved in the project working as a team. The result was that we strengthened each other."
"Hurtigruten is proud to be part of a strong Norwegian consortium with Kongsberg Maritime and Myklebust Verft and contribute to propelling the maritime industry forward," concludes Hedda Felin.
This project is one of the largest environmental retrofit projects in Europe. It was essential to have strong professional expertise to rely on, says Hedda Felin.
"There aren't many players who can undertake such a complex project. We have had a long and fruitful collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime and knew they could deliver on this."
Myklebust Verft handled the actual retrofitting of the vessels. CEO Lars Conradi Andersen is pleased with the collaboration.
Lars Conradi Andersen
CEO, Mylebust Verft
Successful collaboration project
Did you know
Hurtigruten is upgrading all ships on the route between Bergen and Kirkenes? Three ships will, among other things, become hybrid. This will reduce CO2 emissions by at least 25 percent and decrease NOx emissions by 80 percent.
Did you know
Hurtigruten's green upgrades, in collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime and Myklebust Verft, are one of the largest projects to date in Europe concerning environmental upgrades at sea?
Hurtigruten's green upgrades, in collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime and Myklebust Verft, are one of the largest projects to date in Europe concerning environmental upgrades at sea?
New custom-made and integrated propeller and maneuvering system, bow, gear, hybrid shaft generators, and control systems. This will reduce energy consumption.
Adjustable Azimuth thrusters that meet new wind requirements.
Classified as hybrid ships with two large battery packs (with a total capacity of 2240 kWh), and new Norwegian-made engines that significantly reduce CO2 emissions and increase safety.
New wastewater treatment facilities to reduce sea pollution.
SCR systems that reduce NOx emissions by at least 80%.
New control rooms and energy management systems.
New, modern bridge.
All ships are already set up for shore power connection, to reduce emissions in ports.
New exhaust heat exchangers to improve heat recovery from the main engines, leading to reduced energy use.
The upgrades provide all Hurtigruten's seven coastal ships with significant emission reductions, equivalent to the strictest international standard for NOx emissions (Tier III).
Optimization of the hull to minimize water resistance.
The upgrades primarily focus on the latest in environmental technology, hybrid operation with large battery packs, far more efficient engines, and a significant focus on biofuel.
MS Richard With converted to a hybrid ship.
• Classified as hybrid ships with two large battery packs (with a total capacity of 2240 kWh), and new Norwegian-made engines that significantly reduce CO2 emissions and increase safety.
• SCR systems that reduce NOx emissions by at least 80%.
• New propeller blades, bow, gear, hybrid shaft generators, and control systems to reduce energy use.
• Optimization of the hull to minimize water resistance.
• New exhaust heat exchangers to improve heat recovery from the main engines, leading to reduced energy use.
• New wastewater treatment facilities to reduce sea pollution.
• All ships are already set up for shore power connection, to reduce emissions in ports.
• New, modern bridge.
• New control rooms and energy management systems.
• Retractable Azimuth thruster.
• The upgrades provide all Hurtigruten's seven coastal ships with significant emission reductions, equivalent to the strictest international standard for NOx emissions (Tier III).
• Possibility to use certified biofuel.
• New custom-made and integrated propeller and maneuvering system, bow, gear, hybrid shaft generators, and control systems. This will reduce energy consumption.
Detailed overview of the upgrades of three ships:
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Dette er One Ocean Expedition
One Ocean Expedition er en del av FNs havforskningstiår, og har som mål å skape oppmerksomhet og dele kunnskap om hvor viktig havet er for en bærekraftig fremtid i et globalt perspektiv. Fra august 2021 har Statsraad Lehmkuhl vært på en to år lang jordomseiling, og har underveis fungert både som opplærings- og forskningsfartøy. Skipet er utstyrt med topp moderne forskningsutstyr, som kontinuerlig har samlet inn data om hvordan vi mennesker påvirker havet. Underveis har det blitt arrangert utstillinger og andre aktiviteter for skoler, universiteter og partnere verden rundt.
