Norwegian equipment provider Kongsberg Maritime has delivered a 23% cut in CO2 emissions on the 121-meter passenger vessel, owned by Hurtigruten, a coastal ship operator and adventure travel company.
As explained, the vessel MS Richard With finished an extensive refit last summer using Kongsberg Maritime engineering and technology and has now completed its first year back in service.
The refit program for MS Richard With included the installation of two hybrid shaft generators, two SaveEnergy 1.120kWh lithium-ion batteries and two Bergen B33:45V engines. It also has new tunnel thruster motors, a retractable azimuth thruster, and controllable pitch propeller blades, plus digital management systems.
The project is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, with an investment value of approximately €100 million.
“We have built our last fossil fuel ship for the Norwegian Coastal Express,,” said Hurtigruten Coastal Express CEO Hedda Felin .
“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.”
“We can do the full turnover of a vessel in four or five months. An entirely new build takes much longer,” said Geir Oscar Løseth , Kongsberg Maritime’s Vice President of Sales Aftermarket Advanced Offerings.
“The vessel is also safer and smoother in the water. It gives the crew several layers of reassurance. They can operate on full battery, zero emission operation; they can run on auxiliary engines and they can run on main engines. So, there’s a high level of safety that meets the new requirements for lower-emission travel along the coast.”
Last year, Kongsberg Maritime partnered with Myklebust Verft shipyard to convert three Hurtigruten ships to hybrid technology, promising reduced emissions and quieter operations.
MS Richard With, built in 1993, was the first of three ships to be relaunched, in August last year. The second ship MS Kong Harald returned to service in May, and the final ship, MS Nordlys will be complete in 2025.
Ship owners and operators are working to deal with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) regulations on emissions reduction, particularly for active vessels. As part of its decarbonization strategy, Hurtigruten aims to cut CO 2 emissions from its operation along the coast of Norway by at least 25 percent.