By
Alex Smith |
A refit of Hurtigruten’s Richard With by Kongsberg Maritime has reduced the cruise ship’s emissions by 23 per cent over its first year back in service.
The marine technology company partnered with Myklebust Verft shipyard in 2022 to convert three Hurtigruten Coastal Express ships to hybrid technology. Richard With, built in 1993, was the first of the three ships to be relaunched in August last year. The second ship, Kong Harald, returned to service in May, while Nordlys will be completed in 2025.
Hurtigruten Coastal Express has invested around €100 million ($106 million) in the refit project.
“We have built our last fossil fuel ship for the Norwegian Coastal Express,” said Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Coastal Express. “We had the opportunity to upgrade the fleet and give the ships the best of today’s technology. Plus, it’s more environmentally friendly to retrofit a vessel than to scrap and build a new one.”
The refit programme for Richard With included the installation two hybrid shaft generators, two SaveEnergy 1.120 kilowatt hour lithium-ion batteries and two Bergen B33:45V engine. It also has new tunnel thruster motors, retractable azimuth thruster, and controllable pitch propeller blades, as well as digital management systems.
“We can do the full turnover of a vessel in four or five months, while an entirely new build takes much longer” says Geir Oscar Løseth, vice president of sales aftermarket advanced offerings at Kongsberg Maritime. “The vessel is also safer and smoother in the water. It gives the crew several layers of reassurance. They can operate on full battery, auxiliary engines or main engines. So, there’s a high level of safety that meets the new requirements for lower-emission travel along the coast.”