Hurtigruten Expeditions' MS Fridtjof Nansen rated the world’s most sustainable cruise ship

Hurtigruten Expeditions’ MS Fridtjof Nansen rated the world’s most sustainable cruise ship

Wednesday, Oct 27, 2021 0

Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid powered MS Fridtjof Nansen has been named the safest and most sustainable cruise ship in the world.

Scope ESG Analysis, the leading European provider of ESG analysis, has done the first in-depth assessment of 400 cruise ships focusing on a combination of safety and sustainability.

On top of the list: Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid powered expedition cruise ship MS Fridtjof Nansen – equipped with large battery packs, shore power connection and a wide range of green technology.

The independent ranking is published in cooperation between Scope and Europe’s largest current affairs magazine Stern. According to Stern and Scope, they “want to offer environmentally conscious travellers a decision-making aid and an incentive for the cruise industry to continue to invest in sustainability and safety”.

– The differences between the ships are huge, said Ralf Garrn, Director of studies at Scope ESG Analysis GmbH.

Custom built for greener exploration

Custom built for some of the most spectacular waters of our planet, such as Antarctica, Alaska, the Arctic and the Norwegian coast, MS Fridtjof Nansen and her identical sister ship MS Roald Amundsen are the world’s first battery-hybrid powered cruise ships. They are the green front-runners in Hurtigruten Expeditions growing fleet of smaller, more sustainable expedition cruise ships.

Hurtigruten Expeditions founded expedition cruising in 1896, and is today the world’s largest and leading expedition cruise line. The introduction of MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen are some of the latest in a series of large-scale investments in green tech and sustainability.

“Recognition of crew and staff”

Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen.

“To be recognised for our commitment towards sustainability and safety by such a world-renowned ratings agency is a fantastic endorsement and testament to our commitments to operate as sustainable as possible. This is also recognition our crew and staff and their hard work, making us a little bit better, a little bit more sustainable while creating unique experiences with our guests every single day,” said Asta Lassesen, CEO of Hurtigruten Expeditions.

“We will continue to work closely with local communities, authorities and industry partners to drive change and move boundaries while at the same time utilize the best solutions available today. Our ultimate goal is to operate completely emission free. A recognition like this is a huge boost not only to achieve our goals, but to get there faster and smarter” Lassesen said.

High scores on safety and sustainability

Scope and Stern’s cruise ship ranking is 70% based on a score for sustainability, and 30% on safety. For sustainability, the score is calculated based on a number of criteria, such as CO2 emissions (with different target values set for different types, sizes and years of construction for ships), use of emission and water purification systems, limitations on operations, and disposal of waste.

For safety, the criteria such as quality of ship and the operator, results from port state controls, and incidents were taken into consideration.

MS Fridtjof Nansen will spend her full maiden-season sailing expedition cruises from Hamburg to the spectacular Norwegian coast line.

To honour 125 years of exploration, the ship was recently named in the northernmost naming ceremony ever for a cruise ship in Longyearbyen Svalbard – the place where Hurtigruten Expeditions started expedition cruising in 1896.