Stranda Port Authority KF has initiated an advanced fjord network, designed with environmental considerations for the World Heritage villages of Geiranger, Hellesylt, and Stranda.
Throughout spring and summer 2025, new universally accessible floating quays and charging facilities will be erected in each village, representing a combined investment of approximately NOK 60 million (EUR 5 million).
Port director Rita Berstad Maraak remarked that the project satisfies both environmental regulations and the demand for sustainable tourism, noting its importance for the region’s year-round viability.
The Geiranger quay will be redesigned to serve as a wave break, enabling the restoration of a visitor harbour inwards, equipped by 2026 with charging infrastructure for vessels carrying up to 400 passengers, as well as shore power for ferries.
The quays at Hellesylt and Stranda will be similarly upgraded, enhancing both aesthetic harmony and reducing noise, litter, and other environmental disturbances while avoiding interference with existing transport systems.
An experimental “Aquapod” system is slated for installation in Geiranger, offering the capability to remove plastic debris and oil films from harbour water, further positioning Stranda as a leading example of a forward‑thinking, environmentally resilient fjord network.
The “Green Quay” project has been developed in collaboration with local businesses, NTNU, Stranda municipality, and the county authority.
New environmental regulations scheduled for implementation in 2026 will restrict cruise traffic in World Heritage fjords to Tier III-compliant vessels—ships meeting strict emissions standards—or smaller passenger boats. Maraak noted that several cruise ships lacking compliance may alter course to adjacent ports, with land transfers of visitors. Stranda Port aims to redirect such arrivals to smaller, low-emission vessels.
Current capacity accommodates cruise ships up to 6,000 passengers, with MSC Euribia and P&O Iona among the largest calling. A total of 147 calls carrying 348,099 passengers are planned for 2025, compared with 176 calls and 498,526 passengers in 2024—projected to adjust to 133 calls in 2026.
The port infrastructure aligns with Norway’s ambition for zero-emission operations in its World Heritage fjords by 2026, complemented by local advances such as hydrogen production in Hellesylt.