Essay by Eric Worrall

Sail and solar in place of big diesel engines. What could possibly go wrong?

An electric cruise ship with gigantic solar sails is set to launch in 2030

By Nell Lewis, CNN
Updated 7:03 AM EDT, Thu June 8, 2023

CNN — Adventure cruise company Hurtigruten Norway today revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails covered in solar panels, which is due to set sail in 2030.

The company currently has a fleet of eight ships, each with a capacity of 500 passengers, that travel along the Norwegian coast from Oslo to the Arctic Circle. Although a relatively small firm, CEO Hedda Felin hopes that this innovation “can inspire the entire maritime industry.”

…

The resulting design will run predominantly off 60 megawatt batteries that can be charged in port with clean energy, as renewables account for 98% of Norway’s electricity system. Gerry Larsson-Fedde, SVP of marine operations for Hurtigruten Norway, who came up with the idea of a zero-emission ship, estimates that the batteries will have a range of 300 to 350 nautical miles, meaning that during an 11-day round trip, one liner would have to charge around seven or eight times. 

To reduce reliance on the battery, when it’s windy, three retractable sails – or wings – will rise out of the deck, reaching a maximum height of 50 meters. They can adjust independently, shrinking to pass under bridges or changing their angle to catch the most wind, explains Larsson-Fedde. He adds that the sails will be covered in a total of 1,500 square meters of solar panels that will generate energy to top up the batteries while sailing – and the battery levels will be displayed on the ship’s side.

…

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hurtigruten-norway-zero-emission-cruise-ship-climate-c2e-spc-intl/index.html

My biggest concern is the ship is essentially a gigantic battery. Maybe battery technology will be a lot safer by 2030, but given a large battery fire has already sunk least one ship, so going really big on batteries doesn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm.

Another concern is energy capacity. On my first and only cruise, a large cyclone formed a hundred miles behind us. The captain really stepped on the gas to get away from the weather. Would stepping on the gas even be an option on an energy constrained battery powered cruise liner?

Maybe for cruises with really short runs between stops this might be a viable option, just as EVs are a potentially viable option if you don’t have to drive significant distances, and can afford to keep a backup ICE vehicle for long trips.

But let’s just say I won’t be buying a ticket for the maiden voyage.