Havyard designs zero-emissions sightseeing vessels for cities and fjords

The ships were developed using the company’s existing knowledge of battery-operated propulsion and charging and designed to meet big cruise ships outside Norway’s world heritage areas and cities, bringing passengers to the innermost parts of the fjords and into city centres.

The company said it possesses the tools to measure energy consumption by calculating the realistic operational profile and environmental impact, which allow it to choose the best options for hull, equipment and energy sources.

Passengers will be transferred on a floating hub installed at the mouth of the fjords and outside cities where the cruise ships call. These hubs will also serve as charging stations for the mini cruise vessels. Havyard said the grid’s limited capacity will be mitigated by connecting battery packs to the grid so the load remains constant. If the mini cruise vessels are charged overnight, they can use power from shore at the hub during the day.

Executive vice president Stig Magne Espeseth said the design addressed safety, energy consumption, cost efficiency and functionality and added “but for us as designers, aesthetics and the design process are also important criteria.”

The 70-m long ships will have a capacity of 600–800 passengers and run at 10–11 knots. In addition to sustainable propulsion, the design focuses on the passenger experience with spacious areas inside and out, larger windows that allow the passengers to take in more of the scenery, and a universal design to help wheelchair users to move freely around the ship.

The project stems from the company’s collaboration with SINTEF from July 2019 and builds on Havyard’s knowledge and experience over the last decade and research conducted with SINTEF at the R&D centre SFI Smart Maritime.

Mr Espeseth said “With this concept, we want to demonstrate it is possible to create new solutions to complex challenges. Zero emissions and sustainable transport will be an integrated part of the experience when passengers are going into vulnerable areas.”

Zero-emissions shipping has achieved new milestones this year and it is expected that the cruise concept will expand globally.

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