The Havila Castor made history in the Geirangerfjord Thursday – operating the first zero emission cruise through the world heritage fjord. according to a press release. 

Havila Kystruten’s ships are built for the future and are the most environmentally friendly ships along the Norwegian coast, the company said.

With a battery pack of 6.1 Megawatt hours (MWh), the world’s largest battery pack on a passenger ship, the ships can sail up to four hours on pure battery power. In combination with liquefied natural gas (LNG), CO2 emissions are reduced by 30 percent and NOX emissions by 90 percent compared to similar vessels that use fossil fuel.

“Even the weather was on our side yesterday and turned out to be much better than expected. This was a milestone for us. We proved that we can deliver on the future requirements from the authorities,” said Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Kystruten.

Havila Castor used battery powered propulsion only for three hours on Thursday.

“We spent just over 60 percent of the battery’s capacity on this voyage and that demonstrates to us that the goal of four hours on battery clearly is achievable. With even more testing and adaptation of all energy use onboard, we will eventually be able to sail the entire world heritage emission-free without major challenges,” added Martini.