Hurtigruten has become the Norwegian cruise line to start testing Biodiesel, which can potentially reduce emissions by 95%.
The testing commenced on board the ‘Polarlys,’ which took on biodiesel in Bergen.
The world is on its way into a new era, with a travel industry based on sustainability, the company said.
“Biodiesel can in the long run potentially give a CO2 reduction of as much as 95% compared to traditional marine fuels.
“Hurtigruten is testing certified biodiesel that is free of palm oil. The industry needs to start making more sustainable choices and Hurtigruten wants to lead the way,” said Hurtigruten CEO, Daniel Skjeldam.
‘Polarlys’ ran on Biodiesel last month, which is seen by the company as an important step on the way to becoming emission free.
Biodiesel can be produced from different sources, for example, waste cooking oil, corn, soya, wheat, tallow or palm.
“We are just at the beginning when it comes to using biodiesel in the shipping industry. We want to move the boundaries and learn more about how this can be used in a bigger scale. This can potentially transform the industry.
“At the same time as shipping increases in the Arctic areas, the emissions do too. But polluting fuels like heavy fuel oil are still not banned in these vulnerable areas. Hurtigruten banned heavy fuel oil a decade ago and is working for a global ban.
“Hurtigruten wants an international ban of use of cheap, polluting heavy fuel oil in the whole Arctic area and along the Norwegian Coast. It makes no sense to create more pollution and increase the risk of spills and destruction in areas that need to be protected,” Skjeldam stressed.
