Hurtigruten’s new hybrid battery powered expedition cruise ship ‘Fridtjof Nansen’ will be completed earlier than scheduled.
As a result, Hurtigruten is adding a series of shorter pre-inaugural voyages.
‘Fridtjof Nansen’ is claimed to be packed with green technology and large battery packs and is, alongside her sister ship ‘Roald Amundsen’, the world’s first battery-hybrid powered cruise ship.
She is set for delivery by the end of this year, well ahead of her 1st April, 2020 inaugural voyage from Hamburg to the Norwegian coast.
“Pre-inaugural voyages are normally offered to specially invited guests only. We want to share the special occasion and give more explorers the opportunity for a first-hand experience of the incredible ‘Fridtjof Nansen’ and our unique expedition cruises,” explained Hurtigruten CEO, Daniel Skjeldam.
Custom built as a small ship taking around 500 guests ‘Fridtjof Nansen’ is currently in the final stages of outfitting on Norway’s Kleven Yard.
She has undergone sea trials off the west coast of Norway, including the testing of her battery packs.
“We are extremely satisfied with the results of the sea trials. In fact, she performed so well that we concluded the tests a full day early. Building on the experience we got from ‘Roald Amundsen’, we are confident in delivering one of the most advanced vessels in the world by end of the year. In co-operation with the Hurtigruten team, our employees, sub-contractors and partners on Fosen Yards have all done a great job,” Kleven CEO, Kjetil Bollestad said.
In addition to the exclusive pre-inaugural voyages, ‘Fridtjof Nansen’s’ maiden season includes a series of cruises from Hamburg to the Norwegian coast, before spending next summer exploring Greenland and Iceland.
For the 2020/2021 winter season, she will join her hybrid powered sistership ‘Roald Amundsen’ on Antarctica cruises.
“We see great demand for our expedition cruises across all markets and all destinations. With their green technology and unprecedented focus on sustainable solutions, ‘Fridtjof Nansen’ and ‘Roald Amundsen’ are not only driving demand, they are driving change in the cruise industry,” Skjeldam added.
The introduction of the world’s first hybrid powered cruise ships is the latest in a number of Hurtigruten green initiatives. For example, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary by banning all single-use-plastics.
Another example is the complete rebuilding of the existing ships to run on a combination of large battery packs, LNG and biogas (LBG) – produced from organic waste, such as dead fish.
