The Richard With has arrived at the Myklebust Verft for its green makeover.

Operated on Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express service, the vessel is receiving new environmentally friendly features, including a battery pack for hybrid operations.

“These upgrades will cut CO2 emissions by at least 25% and NOx by a massive 80%,” said the CEO of Hurtigruten Group Daniel Skjeldam.

“All the work will be done right here in Norway, creating value for the local economy,” he added in a social media post.

According to Skjeldam, two additional coastal vessels are set to undergo similar jobs this year, making the initiative one of “Europe’s biggest environmentally friendly ship upgrade programs ever.”

Named after Hurtigruten’s founder, the 11,200-ton Richard With originally entered service in 1993 and has capacity for 490 guests.

In 2019, Hurtigruten became the first operator to operate a battery-powered cruise ship with the Roald Amundsen.

Investing heavily in sustainability, the company later added two more hybrid vessels to its expedition fleet, including the refurbished Otto Sverdrup in 2021.

In the past, the Norway-based brand also disclosed plans to power its ships with liquified biogas (LBG), a fossil-free, renewable fuel produced from dead fish and other organic waste, in addition to LNG.