Hurtigruten to add third hybrid-electric expedition ship to fleet

Adventure travel brand Hurtigruten has signed an MoU with Norway’s Kleven Verft for the construction of a 530-guest hybrid-electric vessel – due to be delivered in Q2 of 2021. The new ship’s design, construction, engineering and technology will be based on Hurtigruten’s two next-generation hybrid ships currently under construction, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen. According to Hurtigruten, the ship will be “built for some of the most extreme conditions on the planet”, with a specially designed, ice-strengthened hull. It will also feature “substantially larger” battery packs than its sister ships to make expedition voyages “even more sustainable”. Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten chief executive, said, “We are thrilled to introduce yet another revolutionary hybrid-powered expedition ship. This groundbreaking vessel will take our guests to some of the most spectacular areas of our planet, in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way than ever seen before. “These are greener, more advanced cruise ships than the world has ever seen – and ships that will raise standards for the whole industry to follow, as we enter a new era of expedition cruising driven by sustainability.” Hurtigruten will launch the world’s first hybrid-electric cruise ship, MS Roald Amundsen, in May 2019 followed by the MS Fridtjof Nansen.