ALTERNATIVE FUELS VIEWPOINT

Norwegian cruise company Northern Xplorer (NX) aims to make a splash with sustainable cruising for thinking travellers, using eco-friendly ships powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, as CEO Rolf André Sandvik explains

© Mark Fuhrmann, Blue-C WELCOMING THE

NEW WAVE

Rolf André Sandvik CEO, Northern Xplorer

A picture is emerging of the ships that industry newcomer Northern Xplorer believes will support a new style of cruising, based on immersive, enriching experiences for discerning guests who are committed to responsible travel with a minimal footprint. The NX slogan ‘Destination Discovery’ has been coined to express the type of exploration cruise that relishes interacting with local peoples, cultures and landscapes, rather than simply watching them slide by.

“As well as delivering a great passenger experience, we want to make a positive contribution to the local communities we visit,” says Rolf André Sandvik, CEO at Northern Xplorer.

One key to achieving this goal has been “sensibly sized” ships that can travel into fjords and rivers, and reach destinations not visited by traditional river cruises or oceangoing vessels, he says. “We respect there will always be a market for big vessels, but for those people who want something new, more up close and personal, and that they can feel good about – that’s what we are offering.”

NX’s ultimate objective is a series of 14 identical sisterships accommodating 250-300 passengers in 125-150 cabins served by up to 100 crew. The first is planned to be operational from 2024/2025. The 130m-long, 22m-beam design has been developed by Norwegian ship design specialists Multi Maritime AS, an expert in designing ships for the harsh Nordic environment. The hull has been carefully calibrated for optimal stability and performance.

Harnessing hydrogen

New regulations introduced in 2018 by the Norwegian government stipulating emission-free maritime traffic in Norway’s world-heritage fjords from 2026 provided the kickstart for NX, Sandvik says. “It opened a market opportunity not covered by the major cruise lines, and we are filling it.”

Starting with a clean slate is advantageous for any owner, but the NX leadership team also brings considerable

experience to the table. With a track record including NCL and Crystal Cruises, for example, Sandvik founded The Fjords, based in Flåm in western Norway, in 2014. As CEO he ushered in a new era of environmentally friendly sightseeing, after The Fjords commissioned a series of groundbreaking hybrid-electric vessels. The first, Vision of the Fjords, went on to win the “Ship of the Year” award at Hamburg’s SMM trade fair.

Scaling up

NX represents the next step of a personal journey to green the waterborne tourist industry, says Sandvik. “Scaling up what we seeded at The Fjords to sustainable cruising on brand-new vessels compliant with the strictest global regulations is the best way to show environmentally conscious visitors the amazing nature and culture of the Nordic countries.”

The new ships will be powered by a combination of type-approved hydrogen fuel cells and batteries charged with clean shore power when in port.

“ABB, with whom we are cooperating, is already well advanced in the collaborative development of fuel cell systems, and has wide experience in integrating energy storage,” says Sandvik.

“Operational efficiency and safety have been our top priorities, with full redundancy built in. This combination, together with Azipod® propulsion units, ensures excellent energy efficiency while substantially cutting noise and vibration, improving passenger comfort and minimising disturbance to the marine environment.”

The only by-product of burning hydrogen is water, which can in turn be reused on board. The NX ships will not be spending long periods at sea, reducing the space required for hydrogen storage.

One key challenge for NX is that maritime regulations addressing hydrogen-based propulsion systems are not yet in place. “Using the International Maritime Organization’s alternative design procedure we can absolutely solve this challenge with the support of forward-leaning class associations and the Norwegian Maritime Authority, which is very results-orientated,” says Sandvik.

Huge steps are being taken in the formation of a hydrogen supplychain ecosystem in Norway, he adds. “The build-up of both hydrogen and marine battery production is robustly backed by the goodwill of the Norwegian authorities. Shore charging infrastructure and technology is also already well developed for batterypowered ferries, where Norway leads the world in innovation.”

NX has already signed letters of intent with companies offering green hydrogen to the marine market, and intends to use green hydrogen from the first day of operation. Its itineraries will be built around those destinations that already have quayside recharging infrastructure, or are planning to.

“Onshore power, certainly in Norway, comes largely from renewable hydropower, which reduces our carbon footprint further,” says Sandvik.

The plan is to pilot supplementary wind and solar power on later ships in the series. “Each consecutive vessel will adopt new and better technology, which gives us flexibility to always opt for the best solutions as they become available.” The ships will also be performance-optimised for maximum energy efficiency, including advanced electronics for optimal power management.

Other sustainable systems include state-of-the-art heating, ventilation and air conditioning that will minimise the risk of viruses spreading, waste heat recovery to conserve energy, and effective waste management.

The first ship will start in Norway – the fjords in summer and Northern Lights in winter – with future expansion to other Nordic destinations and beyond.

“Our natural growth trajectory is Europe, for example Croatia, Monaco, the French Riviera and other points in the Mediterranean where green energy becomes available or stricter emissions regulations are introduced,” says Sandvik.

“We undertake not to hook up to stations using electricity from coal- or oil-fired power plants. Charging batteries from non-green sources we see as meaningless.”“Each consecutive vessel will adopt new and better technology, which gives us flexibility to always opt for the best solutions as they become available”

Under scrutiny

NX will also work towards greater sustainability throughout the vacation experience, in order to “walk the talk on zero emission travel”, Sandvik adds. “We will scrutinise airlines for who has the youngest and most fuelefficient aircraft, as well as carbon offset programmes, and recommend these operators to our guests. We also plan to implement a ‘Train-Sea’ programme between turnaround ports, as well as electric buses between certain destinations.”

Where shipboard technology is concerned, Sandvik is a return customer for ABB, which also supplied the hybrid package for the Vision of the Fjords. “ABB is committed to supporting the shipping industry’s low-carbon future. Whichever decarbonisation strategy shipowners opt for, we have the technologies to support more sustainable operations,” says Dick Björkqvist, global segment manager, Cruise, ABB Marine & Ports.

“I’m very happy co-operating with ABB again to enable sustainable cruise operations,” says Sandvik. “It is a heavyweight technology innovator with deep domain knowledge and experience.”