Hurtigruten project demonstrates scale of retrofit potentialHurtigruten project demonstrates scale of retrofit potential

The first vessel, the 121m-long MS Richard With built in 1993, has completed her first year back in service after an extensive refit at Norway’s Myklebust Verft shipyard. The ship’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by 23% over the 12-month period.

The work carried out on the vessel included installation of two hybrid shaft generators, two SaveEnergy 1,120kWh lithium-ion batteries, and two Bergen B33:45V engines. New tunnel thruster motors, a retractable azimuth thruster, controllable pitch propeller blades, and new digital management systems were also installed.

The second ship in the three-vessel series, MS King Harald, has undergone a similar retrofit and was recommissioned in May. Work on the third vessel, MS Nordlys, will be completed in 2025.

Hurtigruten Coastal Express chief executive, Hedda Felin, announced: “We have built our last fossil fuel ship for the Norwegian Coastal Express. We had the opportunity to upgrade the fleet and give the ships the best of today’s technology. Plus, it’s more environmentally friendly to retrofit a vessel than to scrap and build a new one.”

Explaining that the ships’ crews now have a range of options for powering the ships which not only improve efficiency but raise safety standards, Kongsberg Maritime’s Vice President of Sales Aftermarket Advanced Offerings, Geir Oscar Løseth, said: “We can do the full turnover of a vessel in four or five months. An entirely new build takes much longer.”