Ulstein Verft has laid the keel of the Color Hybrid, the world’s largest battery-hybrid ship, set to enter into service in July next year.
The ceremony, held on April 16 at Crist in Gdynia, Poland, marks the assembly of the 14 large blocks of the ship, owned by Color Line. Once completed, the hull will be towed to Ulsteinvik, Norway in October for final outfitting.
The ship is scheduled for completion and delivery to Color Line in May 2019.
“The hybrid technology and other environmentally friendly solutions on board the Color Hybrid will reduce noise and emissions of environmentally harmful gasses to a minimum,” CEO of Color Line, Trond Kleivdal , said.
“Predictability and an internationally competitive framework have been of the utmost importance when deciding to build the world’s largest plug-in ship, and the framework also makes it possible for us to look at further investments from a Norwegian standpoint, with future new and innovative maritime environmental solutions.”
Color Line has installed shore power facilities in all of their Norwegian ports, including Oslo, Kristiansand, Larvik and Sandefjord. The facilities in Sandefjord will be used to charge the batteries of the Color Hybrid.
The M/S Color Hybrid will be built for the Norwegian Ordinary Ship register (NOR), and will have Norwegian crew.
It will feature 160 metres in length and have a capacity of 2,000 passengers and about 500 cars. The ship will be deployed into service between Sandefjord and Strømstad.