Hurtigruten has signed a memorandum of understanding with Norway’s Kleven Verft for the construction of their third hybrid powered expedition cruise ship.

“We are thrilled to introduce yet another revolutionary hybrid powered expedition ship.

“This ground-breaking vessel will take our guests to some of the most spectacular areas of our planet, in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way than ever seen before,” Hurtigruten chief executive, Daniel Skjeldam said.

The new ship’s design, construction, engineering and advanced technology will be based on Hurtigruten’s two next-generation ships, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, currently under construction at the Norwegian yard.

The new hybrid powered expedition ship, accommodating 530 guests, will be custom built for some of the most extreme conditions on the planet, with specially designed, ice-strengthened hull.

“These are greener, more advanced cruise ships than the world has ever seen – and ships that will raise standards for the whole industry to follow, as we enter a new era of expedition cruising driven by sustainability,” Skjeldam said.

The new Hurtigruten hybrid powered expedition ship is expected to be delivered in quarter two of 2021.

Among the innovative green features on the new ship, are substantially larger battery packs to make expedition voyages even more sustainable.

“We are grateful for the confidence Hurtigruten shows us by signing a memorandum of understanding for a third, advanced expedition vessel with green technology combined with premium guest comfort. This is a confirmation of our unique skills and facilities,” Kleven chief executive Olav Nakken added.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2018, Hurtigruten is the world’s largest expedition cruise operator.

With a growing fleet of 17 custom built expedition ships, Hurtigruten explores unique destinations from pole to pole, including Antarctica, South America, Norway, Svalbard, Greenland, Northwest Passage and other Arctic destinations.

The Hurtigruten Kleven agreement is subject to certain contingencies, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.