The cruiseferry company Hurtigruten partnered with the Norwegian startup brand "Brim Explorer" to introduce battery-powered catamarans custom-built for polar water exploration. The 24-meter vessel (debuting in spring 2020) will operate various daily ocean excursions from homeport Longyearbyen (on Spitsbergen Island, Norway's Arctic Svalbard Archipelago) under the new "Hurtigruten Svalbard" brand.
The hybrid catamaran has large battery packs and will be one of world's most flexible fully-electric powered ships. She can be charged at any port and operate on batteries for ten hours with a cruisiang speed of 10 knots. Max passenger capacity is 140. Shipbuilder is Maritime Partner AS (shipyard in Alesund Norway).
The first vessel of Brim Explorer, similar to her sistership that will operate exclusively under Hurtigruten Svalbard brand, is now under construction in Norway and scheduled to debut in August 2019. With their futuristic design, both vessels will feature large windows taking travelers closer to the elements and with as little impact as possible. In addition to the scenery, travelers will enjoy premium food offerings from the acclaimed, locally sourced food concepts of Hurtigruten.
To capture wildlife both above and below the surface, Brim Explorer's catamarans will feature hydrophones and underwater drones from Blueye Robotics - another Norwegian startup partnering with Hurtigruten. The drones will be introduced to a number of Hurtigruten’s expedition ships, as well as all Brim Explorer experiences.