Plug-in hybrid ferry named Ship of the Year
Norway: The Norwegian magazine Skipsrevyen has awarded its “Ship of the year 2019” prize to the cutting-edge vehicle and passenger ferry Color Hybrid, which beat another technological leader, the world’s largest wellboat, the Ronja Storm, to the title.
The award was presented at the Nor-Shipping 2019 fair, held last week in the outskirts of Oslo.
The Color Hybrid is the largest hybrid plug-in vessel in the world, capable of transporting 2,000 passengers and 500 cars.
The other finalists were the Ronja Storm and another vessel, the Roald Amundsen.
Helping ecological change
The award ceremony was attended by Norway’s Prince Haakon and the Minister of Climate and Environment, Sveinung Rotevatn. The jury leader and chief editor of Skipsrevyen, Gustav-Erik Blaalid, said the Color Hybrid “paves the way for a new era in the ro-pax segment with technical solutions that greatly help ecological change”.
Rotevatn said: “Norway has already taught the world how to create a revolution in electric cars. Now we are going to bring the green revolution to the sea. We have a tradition as a maritime nation, and with the focus on green transportation, we will ensure our leadership position in the low emission society.”
Color Hybrid is equipped with a large battery pack that will allow it to manoeuvre the Oslo fjord, from and to the Sandefjord port, without any polluting emissions. “This was one of the demands that the municipality of Sandefjord requested when we invited interested parties to apply for a licence for this ferry crossing,” said the mayor of Sandefjord, Bjørn Ole Gleditsch.
“First of all, we want to say thank you for the prize as ship of the year,” said Color Line chief executive Trond Kleivdal.
Onshore power plants
Color Line bases its investments on the efforts of the authorities and the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, the shipping company is initiating the process of establishing onshore power plants in the Norwegian ports of call where the company operates.
Annually, Color Hybrid will reduce NOx emissions in urban areas to zero, and CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 33% when compared to ro-pax ships of similar size. The reduction in the use of fossil fuels will be greater than 20%.
The jury comprised:
- Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.
- Lars Gørvell-Dahll, industry manager - Association of the Maritime Industry at Norsk Industri.
- Gustav-Erik Blaalid, jury leader and editor-in-chief of Shipsrevyen, in addition to his related Salmonview Media publications Fish Farming Expert, Norsk Fiskeoppdrett (Norway) and Salmonexpert (Chile).
