6 ways to travel emission-free in the Norwegian fjords

Sep 28

2026 and the zero-emission requirements in the World Heritage fjords are fast approaching. Here are 6 ways cruise ships can travel in the fjords without emissions.

In April 2018 the Norwegian parliament agreed to halt emissions in the World Heritage fjords in Norway. This means that all vessels sailing in these fjords cannot have emissions to the ocean or air from 2026. Many companies are now on the hunt for the best zero-emission solution, in terms of environmental impact and cost.

6 vessel concepts

Western Norway has access to great amounts of renewable energy and therefore good conditions for green hydrogen production.

“Hydrogen-fueled vessels fit like a glove with the upcoming zero-emission requirement in the World Heritage fjords”, explains Kristina Skogen, engineer in Ocean Hyway Cluster.

Ocean Hyway Cluster has analysed 6 vessel concepts, the majority of which are hydrogen-based fuels. The Nerøyfjord, which leads to Flåm, has been used as a case in the analysis.

Kristina Skogen is the in house engineer in Ocean Hyway Cluster.

The 6 concepts are:

Cruise calls to the neighbouring fjord + bus to Flåm
Cruise ship on hydrogen: hybrid ships that turn off the internal combustion engine and use hydrogen when they enter the World Heritage fjord.
Cruise ship on ammonia.
Multi hub in Flåm.
Small cruise ship with cabins entering the fjord.
Small passenger vessel without cabins entering the fjord.

At the bottom of this article, you will find details about each of the 6 concepts.

Wants cruise ships on hydrogen

Tourism companies in Flåm have highlighted concept 2) Cruise ships on hydrogen, as the most important concept for reaching the zero-emission requirements in 2026. In this concept, already existing ships will be retrofitted so they can sail emission-free into Flåm by using hydrogen. The ship will have an internal combustion engine and a hydrogen fuel cell so that you can switch between the different fuel types when entering the World Heritage fjord.

“A hybrid ship on hydrogen is alluring for many in the industry because they can meet the requirements by 2026 without spending money on building new ships. Existing ships will in this concept be retrofitted to run on hydrogen by installing containers with fuel cells on deck”, explains Skogen.

The ships turn on "Green mode" when they enter the zero-emission zone in the fjord. The ship turns off the internal combustion engines and sails exclusively using hydrogen from Flåm and back.

Solutions are now being developed to make existing ships more environmentally friendly in the most cost-effective way. One solution is to install hydrogen containers on deck, which the Norwegian company HAV Hydrogen recently announced that they will launch.

Completely new ships that are tailored to zero-emission requirements are also being developed. Northern Xplorer will launch a series of zero-emission cruise ships on hydrogen for 250 passengers. The cruise ships are designed by Multi Maritime and have a fully electric propulsion system from ABB. "It is thrilling to see the industry launching concepts that match our concepts in Destination Green Vestland and being on track to reach the 2026 requirements”, says Skogen satisfied.

Destination Green Vestland

The analysis is part of the project Destination Green Vestland by Ocean Hyway Cluster. Project leader Sandra Nekkøy explains why they have analysed different ways for zero-emission sailing in the World Heritage fjords:

The resolution for zero-emission on tourism vessels from 2026 is very important for Norwegian technology development. The shipping companies that sail in the World Heritage fjords are now on the lookout on how to meet the requirement in both an environmentally friendly and cost-efficient way. The cluster wants to support technological development by showing the advantages and disadvantages of different technological solutions, Nekkøy explains.

Sandra Nekkøy has led the project Destination Green Vestland.

How much hydrogen is needed?

The research institute SINTEF has on behalf of Ocean Hyway Cluster calculated how much hydrogen is needed to sail without emissions in the World Heritage fjords. A cruise ship on hydrogen with a deck-based containerized fuel cell system has been used as case.

The beautiful Nærøyfjord have been used as a case in the analysis. Photo: Mark König.

A hybrid cruise ship at this size will require 360 kg hydrogen to sail a roundtrip from Flåm to Nerøyfjorden. A cruise ship on hydrogen with a deck-based containerized fuel cell system will require a storage capacity of 510 kg with a 30% margin when sailing into Flåm and back to the zero-emission border, Skogen ends.

Pro and cons

You can find the pros and cons of the 6 concepts by clicking on the plus symbol in the list below.

Concept 1 implies that cruise ships stay outside the zero-emission zone since they do not meet 2026 requirements. Here, the cruise ships will use other quays in neighbouring villages and passengers will be transported by bus to destinations within the world heritage fjords.
Pros: There is no need to rebuild existing cruise ships, and there is no need to build new ships. This benefits cruise lines that will not incur increased costs.
Cons: There are several disadvantages to the concept, including that destinations without an infrastructure designed to accommodate cruise ships can suddenly experience a large increase in the number of cruise ships. In addition, this is only a temporary solution where instead of addressing the problem, CO2 emissions are simply moved to another location. The requirement for zero emissions in all fjords from 2030 is also not satisfied, so in practice, the concept would only have worked for a shorter period.
In concept 2, hydrogen ships (hybrid) go all the way to Flåm. Hydrogen and fuel cells are stored in a container on the deck. When the ship enters the zero-emission zone, they switch to "green mode", turn off the internal combustion engines and enters the fjord emission-free using only hydrogen.
Pros: You satisfy the requirement for zero emissions, and have the possibility of retrofitting since it is a matter of installing containers on the deck of today's cruise ships. In this concept, you can take as many passengers as before. In addition, the combination of hydrogen/fuel cells, batteries and internal combustion engines contribute to increasing operational flexibility outside the tourism season. This means that the vessel has the opportunity to get to other places where there may be no infrastructure for bunkering hydrogen.
Cons: The concept requires cruise lines to make active choices to enable zero emissions to the fjords. Initially, cruise lines will probably choose to sail to places other than Flåm where there are no zero-emission requirements because it is costly to rebuild the ships. Hydrogen bunkering technology is not yet fully mature but is on its way.
Ammonia-powered cruise ships going all the way to Flåm. A bunkering terminal for ammonia will be available outside the zero-emission zone. For passengers, the experience will be similar to today's cruise tourism.
Pros: the vessel is the same size as conventional cruise ships, so you get as many passengers as today's solution. In addition, it is a great advantage that there is currently a better-developed infrastructure for ammonia compared to hydrogen.
Cons: the concept requires cruise lines to make active choices to enable zero emissions to the fjords. In addition, there is also uncertainty associated with regulations for ammonia, especially for passenger ships. This concept does not enable retrofitting, so there is a major disadvantage in having to build new cruise ships. This is both very time-consuming compared to retrofitting, and more financially burdensome.
Ammonia and fuel cells are stored in a container on deck, and when the zero-emission zone is passed, the ship switches to "green mode", turn off the internal combustion engines and enters the fjord emission-free using only ammonia.
Pros: the vessel is the same size as conventional cruise ships, and therefore carries as many passengers as in the current solution. In addition, the combination of ammonia and conventional fuels increases operational flexibility in the off-season. In this concept, we are talking about retrofitting existing cruise ships, which is very positive in terms of time and economy.
Cons: Cruise lines must make active choices to enable zero emissions to the fjords. There is also uncertainty associated with regulations for ammonia, especially for passenger ships.
Concept 4 entails the construction of a terminal/ multi hub outside the zero-emission zone. Larger cruise ships dock at the multi hub, while passengers move on to smaller and emission-free vessels that sails in the zero emission zone. A bunkering terminal will be built at the hub, which offers various types of zero-emission fuels. The multi hub can consist of several terminals, where multiple cruise ships can dock at the same time. The hub will be an attraction in itself with cafes and restaurants with fjord views.
Pros: It can become a central hub in the Sognefjord for emission-free vessels and bunkering of environmentally friendly fuels. Increased fjord tourism is expected in the coming years, and the multi-hub can contribute to good distribution and logistics of high passenger traffic. In addition, the multi hub enables cruise ships that are not emission-free until 2030 to dock, while passengers move to smaller emission-free vessels. In addition, on days with several calls, emission-free cruise ships can enter Flåm and dock there, while other cruise ships can dock at the multi hub.
Cons: There are several challenges with such a concept, including complexity and space requirements. It is unclear who will invest in the hub, and who will be the owner. In addition, there is also a long way to go before such a concept is commercially ready.
In this concept, the current business model for the cruise industry is changing. This means that the fjords will no longer be the market for the largest cruise ships. Smaller cruise ships with zero emissions sail into the fjords, while the largest ships sail along the coast. The largest cruise ships sail between cities, such as Bergen - Ålesund, while those tourists who want the fjord experience switch to smaller cruise ships.
Pros: The smaller cruise ships can go longer distances on zero-emission fuel. Another advantage of this concept is that you get the desired emission reduction in the fjords since cruise ships on conventional fuel only run along the coast.
Cons: Smaller vessels on zero emissions will be difficult to retrofit. This is a new business model for cruise tourism, which requires major investments. It will probably arise logistical challenges as well as challenges for sales staff, getting a transfer ticket for both the large cruise ships and the small ones. Another challenge is that the large cruise ships may disappear from Norway in the absence of demand since the fjords are no longer their market.
Smaller passenger vessels enters the fjords. At first glance, this concept may look like the previous concept (concept 5) without the large cruise ships, but it is not. In this concept, we are talking about small passenger vessels, and not small cruise ships. These vessels will therefore not, for example, have cabins on board.
Pros: It will probably make fjord cruises a more exclusive experience. The vessels have a lower number of passengers, and therefore an increased ticket price can be possible. It also helps to satisfy the requirement for zero emissions that will be introduced in all fjords from 2030, since one does not get hung up on the "zero-emission zone", but instead looks at a solution to the problem in the big picture.
Cons: Having room for fewer passengers may be seen as a disadvantage for some companies. Another disadvantage is that the concept requires an incredible number of new builds, both because this is difficult to retrofit, and because there are very few of these types of vessels today.