Hurtigruten, a Norwegian ferry and expedition cruise operator, has put into service, MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first hybrid electric-powered expedition cruise ship. The 530-passenger ship has twin battery banks that operate in conjunction with the ship’s four diesel generators and are expected to reduce overall fuel consumption by 20%. The MS Roald Amundsen is the first of three hybrid-powered cruise ships ordered by Hurtigruten. Forbes quotes the company as saying that it is investing more than $850 million in building the world’s greenest cruise line.
The company is also moving beyond just hybrid technology in an effort to cut the use of fossil fuels. Last year the company announced that its ships will be outfitted to run on biogas and biofuel. They plan on using waste from Norwegians lumber and fishing industries to fuel their ships. Or as one travel writer noted, “Hurtigruten cruise ships will soon be powered with dead fish.”
“What others see as a problem, we see as a resource and a solution,” the company said in a press release. “By introducing biogas as fuel for cruise ships, Hurtigruten will be the first cruise company to power ships with fossil-free fuel.”
The company said it will operate ships with liquefied biogas (LBG), which is a renewable gas produced from dead fish and other organic waste. Considered the most environmentally friendly fuel available, biogas is already being used in small parts of the transportation sector, particularly in buses, the company said. Biogas is different from biofuel produced from palm tree oil or from soil that could be used for growing crops.
By 2021, Hurtigruten plans to run at least six of its cruise ships using biogas, large battery packs and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Only question I have? What is the odor like from burning the LBG? If it comes out smelling worse that rotting fish, they may end up losing all sorts of passengers. Tho the hybrid idea is a good one. Combining generator to batteries.
It is not clear what the purpose of the batteries are (unless there is some unmentioned solar power). Hybrid autos use the batteries to recover otherwise wasted power during braking and to give extra power during acceleration (which allows the use of a smaller, more efficient engine). I don’t believe either braking or acceleration are major factors for a cruise ship.
According to what I have read, the batteries allow running the diesels at maximum efficiencies at a full range of loads.