Hurtigruten launches first of seven ship upgrades
Conversion of Richard With to battery hybrid propulsion is completed (Source: Stian Klo/Hurtigruten)
Norway’s Hurtigruten has launched the first of seven ships that are being upgraded to raise environmental performance. The 1993-built Richard With, named after the Hurtigruten founder, is the first of seven ships in the company’s Coastal Express fleet to undergo modernisation and environmental upgrade. The project, costing close to EUR 100 million, is due to be completed early in 2024.
Richard With has been retrofitted with battery packages, new engines and propulsion system, and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system at Myklebust Verft in north-western Norway. All seven ships will have SCR installations, the company said, reducing NOx emissions by about 80%. All ships in the company’s coastal fleet are capable of connecting to shore power facilities where they are available.
Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway, commented: “This is one of the largest environmental upgrades of its kind in Europe, and the largest in Hurtigruten's history. The fact that we have made these upgrades at Myklebust Yard, with as much Norwegian technology as possible, is no coincidence. Hurtigruten Norway has been a contributor to local communities for 130 years and will continue to be so when sailing, building, and upgrading our ships.”
Felin also revealed that the company is aiming to have its first emissions-free ship in operation by 2030.
