By
Laura Hyde |
Meyer Werft has created the world’s first 100 per cent battery-electric cruise ship with a size of more than 80,000gt, as part of Project ‘Vision’. The German shipbuilder will present the project at Seatrade Cruise Global, taking place in Miami, Florida, this week.
Project ‘Vision’ is an 82,000gt, 275-metre-long concept ship, which can accommodate 1,856 passengers. “The technology is available today [so] if ordered this year, we could already deliver the first ship in 2031,” said Thomas Weigend, chief sales officer at Meyer Werft.
The ship’s battery system, which will enable it to operate a large portion of typical European cruise routes, is supplied by Norway-based firm Corvus Energy. “Our close collaboration with Meyer Werft and the combination of our capabilities demonstrated with the ‘Vision’ is the natural evolution of battery technology and a defining moment for the cruise industry,” said Fredrik Witte, CEO of Corvus Energy. “Scaling to fully electric cruise ships shows the world that the technology is safe, mature and ready to change the game.”
By 2030, around 100 ports across Europe will offer the required charging infrastructure to support batteryelectric cruise ships. Meyer Werft can also build vessels as hybrids with small generators, enabling, for example, transatlantic crossings.
“With battery-electric cruise ships, we offer a competitive product that relies on existing technologies,” said Johannes Bade, responsible at Meyer Werft for the development programme behind ‘Vision’. “We are opening up entirely new opportunities for our customers to operate sustainably and profitably in the long term.”
The battery system onboard Project ‘Vision’ will be supplied by Corvus Energy
Project ‘Vision’ is designed as an all-weather ship and also introduces a new architectural approach; the vertical shaft running through the ship for exhaust treatment and the funnel (which usually occupies parts of the sun deck) can be removed. This will enable cruise lines to create a new sun deck design, offering guests unobstructed views.
“We asked ourselves how we can use innovation to reduce carbon dioxide and contribute to decarbonisation – not in 50 years, but much sooner; we enable a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 95 per cent,” said Tim Krug from Meyer Werft’s concept development group.