In what is described as one of the largest environmental upgrades in the history of European shipping, Hurtigruten announced plans for a fleet-wide upgrade to its Norwegian Coastal Express ships.
Three of the vessels operating on the coastal route, the Richard With, Nordlys, and Kong Harald, will undergo a full transformation to battery-hybrid power.
Two new, energy-efficient Bergen B33:45V diesel engines will propel each vessel, equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction to ensure optimal emissions control and compliance with IMO Tier III regulations.
In addition to the installation of the battery hybrid-power system on the three vessels, Hurtigruten said that all the ships have already been fitted with shore-power connectivity to eliminate emissions when connected in port.
The green upgrades of the Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express ships are the latest in a series of large-scale investments in sustainability and green technology by the Hurtigruten Group.
The news comes less than a fortnight after the cruise line said it would temporarily suspend recruiting crew members from India, and it has been welcomed by Indian seafarers.
On Sunday, police responders in Melbourne, Australia rescued a seafarer who had jumped over the side of his vessel and was found hanging onto a navigational buoy a few miles off the port.
Beijing has revised its domestic maritime navigation law to substitute references to China’s “coastal” waters with references to China’s “maritime jurisdiction.” The change appears to remove a legal restriction on Chinese maritime law enforcement in areas far from China’s own shores.
Southeast are reporting shortages, and a demand spike caused by panic buying can be seen in all U.S.