Norwegian company Hurtigruten will use leftover fish to propel cruise ships, it announced Monday, November 26, seeking to improve the image of a sector criticized for its adverse effects on climate and quality air.
The Hurtigruten shipping company will use leftover fish to advance its cruise ships. Thus, the production remains of the fishing industry will be mixed with other organic waste in order to create a biogas that will be liquefied and replace the fuel oil, as indicated by the company that organizes cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic. .
"What others see as a problem, we see as a resource and a solution," said Hurtigruten General Manager Daniel Skjeldam. "By using biogas to power its ships, Hurtigruten is becoming the first company in the industry to propel its ships with fossil fuel-free fuels," he added.
Large volumes of organic waste
Hurtigruten, which now operates a fleet of 17 units, wants to equip "at least" six of its vessels with biogas propulsion systems and batteries associated with liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines, the cleanest of fossil fuels.
Norway, where buses already run on biogas, has highly developed fish and forestry industries, generating large volumes of organic waste. This announcement comes as the cruise industry is strongly criticized for its climate footprint and its contribution to air quality.
A large cruiser powered by heavy fuel oil, a cheap but highly polluting fuel, emits as much fine particulate matter as a million cars per day, according to the German environmental organization Nabu.
A captain sentenced by France
This Monday, the French justice has for the first time sentenced a cruise company and one of its captains for breaking environmental standards.
After being pinned with oil too polluting, the captain of Azura operated by the world leader in the sector, the American Carnival, was sentenced to 100,000 euros fine, of which 80,000 will be paid by his employer.
Norway, for its part, has decided to apply by 2026 at the latest a "zero emission" requirement for cruise ships and ferries sailing in its famous UNESCO world heritage fjords.