Hurtigruten’s Roald Amundsen sails on battery power

Hurtigruten’s Roald Amundsen has become the first cruise ship in the world to sail purely on battery power.

The hybrid-powered newbuild left Kleven Verft for its maiden voyage sailing off Norway’s west coast on battery power.

Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said:

This opens a new chapter in maritime history. Hurtigruten sets a new standard not only for cruising, but for the entire shipping industry to follow.

This is the first-time batteries have been used for a cruise vessel’s propulsion and not just to power some limited electrical needs on board.

Roald Amundsen will explore some of the most spectacular areas of the planet using the battery packs to support its low-emission engines. This will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20% compared to other ships of the same size.

Roald Amundsen also enters service free of single-use plastic.

Kleven project manager Asbjørn Vattøy also added:

In the world of shipbuilding, some projects stand out. This is one of them. MS Roald Amundsen is not only one of the most advanced expedition cruise ships in the world, she is also a premium cruise ship with a number of groundbreaking solutions. We are extremely proud of the ship, which is the result of a tremendous team effort of the Kleven employees and our subcontractors.