Hurtigruten has upgraded the MS Richard With ship to feature technology which will significantly reduce both CO2 and Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.

It is the first of seven in the coastal fleet to be upgraded as part of the line’s effort to make Hurtigruten Norway's fleet more sustainable, with the company investing nearly €100 million towards green upgrades that will be implemented by early 2024.

The move follows its sister company, Hurtigruten Expeditions, which introduced the world's first battery-hybrid powered expedition ship, MS Roald Amundsen, in 2019. The expedition cruise brand now has three battery-hybrid powered ships in its fleet.

Three upgraded hybrid ships will cut CO2 emissions by 25 per cent

Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway explained: “With MS Richard With back in operations as a fully-upgraded ship, guests can sail the Norwegian coast on a quieter, state-of-the-art, and environmentally-friendly ship, while enjoying a traditional experience unlike anything in the world. Over the next year, all our seven Coastal Express ships will be upgraded to be more sustainable.

“Becoming a green company means investing in efforts with documented effects, such as the ones we are doing now. As a result, by next summer, we will have three upgraded hybrid ships sailing the coast, and our entire fleet will be more energy efficient, cutting CO2 emissions by 25 per cent and NOx by 80 per cent."

MS Richard With has gone through extensive upgrades and been retrofitted with battery packages, brand new engines, and new propulsion systems at Myklebust Yard in northwestern Norway. All Hurtigruten Norway's seven ships will also be fitted with SCR systems that cut NOx emissions by 80 per cent by early 2024.

Felin added: "Our goal is to get to zero emissions, and the work to plan the next generation zero emission vessels has already started. Until that technology has been pioneered, we are investing heavily in giving our existing fleet a green upgrade with the best technology available today, but our plan is to have the first emission-free ship in our fleet by 2030, and we're working hard on achieving that."