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The Norwegian Parliament wants all ships to sail emission free in the fjords by 2026.
The Maritime Executive reports that the Norwegian cruise company Havila Kystruten made history on June 2 when the Havila Castor became the first ship to operate emissions-free while cruising in Geirangerfjord.
Geirangerfjord is a world heritage site, and in 2018, the Norwegian Parliament decided that cruise ships and ferries must sail emissions-free in Norway’s World Heritage fjords. At that time, Parliament said it should happen as soon as technically possible but not later than 2026. Havila has achieved the goal four years before the deadline. According to the story, the company demonstrated its battery power system, said to be the largest on any ship in operation.
Havila Castor is a 15,800 gross-ton cruise ship accommodating up to 680 passengers.
The second of four cruise ships built in Turkey for Havila, the Castor is 402 feet long and incorporates multiple elements designed to increase operating efficiency and environmental performance. In addition to the battery pack with a capacity of 6.1 Megawatt hours (MWh), the vessel operates on LNG as its primary fuel. In addition, the hull was designed and constructed for maximum energy efficiency. Excess heat from cooling water and sea is also used for heating on board.