Havila Voyages’ hybrid cruise ships cut coastal emissions

The Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications aims to cut current CO₂ emissions by 25 per cent along the coastal route that connects 34 ports with daily passenger service and delivery of supplies, mail and other cargo. The route includes World Heritage Fjords that are protected by UNESCO and where ships will be required to be emission-free by 2026.

Supported by the Norwegian NOx fund, Havila’s hybrid cruiseliners, currently under construction in Spain and Turkey, will run on LNG and battery power. LNG will cut CO₂ emissions by 25 per cent, and the battery power will yield additional savings.

The company has developed a platform for commercialising and tracking low and zero-emission technologies in a way that has not been done before. It enables the company to document the real, overall impact of the combined low and zero-emission technologies using a multidisciplinary approach and advanced simulation models.

The Havila Kystruten hybrid LNG-electric cruiseliners will reduce emissions along the coastline and in the fjords. Due to the size of the battery package, the cruiseliners will even be able to sail emission-free on renewable power for several hours.

The company expects to help the government to achieve its objective for emission-free fjords by 2021 – five years earlier than the target date 2026.

The market potential for green ships is considerable as time is of the essence in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Havila, together with the shipbuilders Havyard, has been granted funding under the PILOT-E scheme to develop a complete hybrid hydrogen solution enabling zero sailing for longer distances, with the potential for sailing the entire route completely emission free.