This week, Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ship MS Roald Amundsen wrote a new chapter in exploration history – the first battery-hybrid powered ship to traverse the Northwest Passage.
As the MS Roald Amundsen arrived Nome, Alaska, in the evening of September 10, captain Kai Albrigtsen could make a monumental entry in the ship’s logbook: The first complete passage of the more than 3.000 nautical miles passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by hybrid propulsion.
"Every expedition cruise with Hurtigruten is unique, yet this green milestone is literally making history with our guests. Only a few years ago, building cruise ships with battery packs was considered impossible; now the MS Roald Amundsen pays tribute to the great explorer she is named after by traversing one of the world’s most fabled stretches of sea by hybrid propulsion" said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten.
Norwegian polar pioneer Roald Amundsen made the first complete passage from 1903 to 1906.
"We have experienced gale winds, snow and ice. We have also witnessed spectacular sunsets, and striking scenery and wildlife. However, what has had the biggest impact on us, is how warmly we’ve been welcomed by the local communities along the route, just as Roald Amundsen himself was. Their unparalleled hospitality is what has made this a genuinely inspirational voyage" said captain Albrigtsen.
Equipped with large battery packs and other new tech, MS Roald Amundsen has, using batteries to support her engines, reduced emissions more than 20 percent.