Hurtigruten will modernise the fleet and reduce CO2 emissions

Norwegian shipowner specialising in short offshore trips Hurtigruten announced that it would reduce the carbon footprint of six of its ships by 35%.

Hurtigruten intends to do so by replacing propulsion systems on ships. Traditional diesel engines will replace LNG and electric hybrid drives.

The company has just announced that it has obtained permission that seven of its 11 ships from 2021 may begin to run on the route between Bergen and Kirkens. Hurtigruten also stated that he signed a contract with the British company Rolls-Royce to convert ship propulsion systems to electricity-powered and liquefied natural gas. The company stressed that the basis of the new propulsion systems would be engines manufactured by Bergen Engines. It is a Norwegian company owned by the Rolls-Royce capital group. The need to reduce CO2 emissions generated by ships is due to the fact that the Norwegian government, which granted the shipowner a licence to operate the maritime route, demanded a 25% reduction in emissions.

Rolls-Royce experts conducted a diagnosis of the example ship belonging to Hurtigruten and concluded that it is not possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while maintaining propulsion systems currently installed on ships. These units were built by shipyards according to a project that assumed that they would achieve a certain speed. Emission reduction and maintenance of existing parameters were only possible by using hybrid propulsion systems.

Ships will therefore receive propulsion systems consisting of two Bergen Engines. Ships will use electric motors when entering the port and moving away from the shore, and LNG engines will be used during the next stages of the cruise. Rolls-Royce ensures that this solution will allow to reduce emissions and fuel consumption by 35%.

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