MS Richard With sailing through the scenic Raftsundet in northern Norway

Sustainability

Caring for the Coast

Sea Zero

We’ve begun our most ambitious sustainability initiative ever in our 130-year history: developing a ship with zero-emission propulsion tailored to the Norwegian coast by 2030.

We are partnering with SINTEF, one of Europe’s largest independent research organizations, to explore solutions in energy efficiency and battery power.

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MS Kong Harald in Raftsundet, Northern Norway

Upgrading our fleet

By 2025, in one of the largest environmental ship upgrades in Europe and in our 130-year history, we will have transformed our fleet with major environmental upgrades.

Our fleet will be more energy efficient, cutting CO2 emissions by approximately 25% and NOx by 80%, and three ships will be upgraded to hybrid power.

Towards zero food waste

We place food waste from our fleet into a specially designed compost reactor in the port of Stamsund in the Lofoten islands.  

Nearby Myklevik farm uses this fertiliser to grow new food for Norway and for our ships. It’s a simple, natural way to help local farmers and to keep our food waste as low as possible.   

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Biologist and expedition leader, Helga Bårdsdatter Kristiansen is at a beach filled with garbage, cleaning the beach

How we said goodbye to single-use plastics

In summer 2018, we were the first cruise line to remove single-use plastics from all our ships and offices. Our own Helga Bårdsdatter Kristiansen was the driving force behind the initiative.

Our credentials

  • Certified biofuels From carefully selected sources

  • Minimised energy use Through new propeller blades, new bulbous bows, new gears, and new control systems

  • Streamlined hulls That optimise inertia and reduce drag when sailing

  • Free from unnecessary single-use plastic With biodegradable or long-lasting, high-quality alternatives

  • Shore-power connectivity That allows all ships to ‘plug in’ to electricity when docked in port, reducing emissions when shore power is available.

  • State-of-the-art wastewater treatment Systems to limit emissions to sea

Our strategy for sustainability

The Norwegian coast has been our home for 130 years, and so we’ve had a front-row seat when it comes to seeing the urgency of protecting it. Read more about how we've been caring for the coast in our ESG report.

MS Nordlys Norway Winter HGR 164006 1920 Photo Ole Salomonsen

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