The Norwegian explorer cruise line Hurtigruten is building new expedition ships using a new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology that will reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent.

The decision to invest in a hybrid solution is an important milestone for the cruise line’s goal of sailing fully electric expedition ships in the Arctic and Antarctic. The ships will be the world’s first expeditionary ships with true hybrid propulsion.

“The future of shipping is, without a doubt, silent and emission free,” says Daniel Skjelda, CEO, Hurtigruten. “We will use our new expeditionary ships as groundbreakers for this new technology and show the world that hybrid propulsion on large ships is possible.”

A passenger cruise ship requires an enormous amount of energy to operate, and so far, no technologies have been available for a fully electric Hurtigruten ship. Rolls Royce developed the new hybrid solution.

The new ships represent the largest investments in the cruise line’s history and will be constructed in two phases. The first ship will be ready in 2018, equipped with an auxiliary electric engine, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 20 percent. The second ship will be built with a fully fledged hybrid engine that can power the entire ship for longer periods of time and distances. The Hurtigruten expedition ships are constructed specially for voyages in polar water, can hold up to 530 passengers and are strengthened to move through ice along the Norwegian coast. The new technology will further differentiate these impressive feats of engineering.