Kongsberg Maritime, a Norwegian maritime tools and expertise specialist, introduced a 23% discount in CO2 emissions on the 121-meter passenger vessel MS Richard With, which is owned by Hurtigruten, a coastal ship operator and journey journey firm.
The vessel completed an intensive refit final summer time utilizing Kongsberg Maritime engineering and expertise and has now accomplished its first yr again in service.
Last yr, Kongsberg Maritime partnered with Myklebust Verft shipyard to transform three Hurtigruten ships to hybrid expertise, promising decreased emissions and quieter operations. The MS Richard With, in-built 1993, was the primary of three ships to be relaunched, in August final yr. The second ship, MS Kong Harald returned to service in May, and the ultimate ship, MS Nordlys will likely be full in 2025.
The undertaking is among the largest of its sort in Europe, with an funding worth of roughly €100 million, Kongsberg Maritime stated.
“We have constructed our final fossil gas ship for the Norwegian Coastal Express,” stated Hurtigruten Coastal Express CEO Hedda Felin. “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.”
The refit program for MS Richard With included the set up of two hybrid shaft turbines, two SaveEnergy 1,120kWh lithium-ion batteries and two Bergen B33:45V engines. It additionally has new tunnel thruster motors, a retractable azimuth thruster, and controllable pitch propeller blades, plus digital administration techniques.
“We can do the full turnover of a vessel in four or five months. An entirely new build takes much longer,” stated Geir Oscar Løseth, Kongsberg Maritime’s Vice President of Sales Aftermarket Advanced Offerings.
“The vessel is also safer and smoother in the water. It gives the crew several layers of reassurance. They can operate on full battery, zero-emission operation; they can run on auxiliary engines and they can run on main engines. So, there’s a high level of safety that meets the new requirements for lower-emission travel along the coast.”
Ship homeowners and operators are working to take care of IMO rules on emissions discount, notably for lively vessels.
“Our role is going to be to guide customers through this transition, with advisory services as well as the products and solutions that will make sure regulations are met. But we won’t do that simply by coming up with new products and solutions. We also need to look into existing fleets,” stated Lisa Edvardsen Haugan, president of Kongsberg Maritime.
