Inside the 443ft long Green cruise ship of the future with wind and solar sails, battery banks and 'smart' cabins
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It may be a luxurious way to sail the ocean blue, but cruising has never been particularly green. That might be about to change, however, with a zero-emissions liner on the horizon. Hurtigruten, which has run trips along Norway's coast for 130 years, is developing what may be the world's most energy-efficient ship of its class – boasting wind and solar sails, battery banks and 'smart' cabins.
![[Hurtigruten, which has run trips along Norway's coast for 130 years, is developing what may be the world's most energy-efficient ship of its class]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/20/93654417-0-image-a-37_1735762975834.jpg)
Cruising has a higher carbon footprint than air travel and the design will hope to tackle this issue with its 'zero-emission propulsion'. The ship, which the company expects to set sail in 2030, will be 443ft long and is set to have 270 cabins for 500 passengers. It will also carry cargo and those who want to travel to different parts of the coast.
![[The ship, which the company expects to set sail in 2030, will be 443ft long and is set to have 270 cabins for 500 passengers]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/23/93659737-14242455-image-a-67_1735774622202.jpg)
Hurtigruten has partnered with SINTEF, a research organisation, to work on the concept. Calculations show the design will use about 40-50 per cent less energy than today's ships, which makes it possible to operate primarily on batteries as the main energy source.
![[Passengers will also be able to control energy use in their cabin through a mobile-phone app]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/23/93659733-14242455-image-a-68_1735774625689.jpg)
Three retractable sails up to a height of 164ft will pull in air currents and be covered in solar panels. . Hurtigruten, which has run trips along Norway's coast for 130 years, is developing what may be the world's most energy-efficient ship of its class.
![[The sails will also capture energy from the wind and use that to push the ship along, like a sail on a regular boat]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/23/93659735-14242455-image-a-69_1735774629741.jpg)
The ship, which the company expects to set sail in 2030, will be 443ft long and is set to have 270 cabins for 500 passengers. The sails will also capture energy from the wind and use that to push the ship along, like a sail on a regular boat. During the summer, the cruise will be powered by northern Norway's 'midnight sun' which shines throughout each day.
![[During the summer, the cruise will be powered by northern Norway's 'midnight sun' which shines throughout each day]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/23/93659739-14242455-image-a-70_1735774633307.jpg)
