Norwegian ferry and expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails fitted with solar panels, that will sail the Norwegian coast by 2030.

The 500-passenger ship is designed for coastal service with an estimated range of 300 to 350 NM when powered by its 60-megawatt batteries. The line’s Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express stops at 34 ports, which means there are good opportunities for fully electric ships to use future clean energy infrastructure. Renewable energy accounts for 98% of Norway’s electricity supply.

In addition to being powered by batteries, the ship will also feature three 50-meter-high wing sails that can be retracted to pass under bridges. The wing sails will be covered in a total of 1,500 square meters of solar panels that will generate electricity to top up the batteries while sailing.

The company operates a fleet of eight ships in its Norwegian Coastal Express, each with a capacity of 500 passengers, that travel along the Norwegian coast from Oslo to the Arctic Circle. The line also operates expedition cruises to Antarctica, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, the British Isles, West Africa, and the Galapagos.

In 2019, Hurtigruten launched the MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first battery hybrid-powered cruise ship. In October 2021, Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid powered MS Fridtjof Nansen was named the safest and most sustainable cruise ship in the world by Scope ESG Analysis. Hurtigruten added its third battery hybrid-powered ship, the MS Otto Sverdrup, in August 2021.