Sinking feeling: cruise ships chart return to Australia amid emissions concerns
The Norwegian designers of the MM130 call it a “revolutionary” vessel. The first of 14 hydrogen-powered cruise ships – 130 metres long, 22 metres wide, six decks high and with the ability to carry 300 passengers and 100 crew – is due to hit the water in 2025.
It would be a significant engineering milestone for an industry that contributes an unknown but not trivial amount to the 940m tonnes of CO2 generated by marine transport each year, or roughly 2.5% of global emissions.
The chief executive of Northern Xplorer, Rolf Sandvik, says the vessel will be entirely sustainable and emissions-free on the day it leaves the dock.
