Fish Powered Cruise Ships

Fish power? Visions of fish towing a cruise ship spring to mind but alas, the real power behind the fish fuel that powers this cruise ship is found in the fish remains and for that matter in the waste of other organic matter. Let me explain.

It all started with an article in Porthole Cruise magazine. The article pointed out a cruise line unfamiliar to me called Hurtigruten. While it has a mailing address for the US in Seattle, I believe the origins of the cruise line are in Norway and date back to 1893. Their website shows some really nice adventure cruises, among them, Antarctica. They are building new and refitting old ships to run on battery as well as LNG and LBG fuel.

LNG is liquefied natural gas. LBG is liquified bio gas and is the one that is made from organic waste. Biogas can be upgraded to become biomethane gas which as I gather from what I read, a little easier to transport and store.

It is quite a concept and I wonder if in the future somehow the cruise ships will be able to make their own on the ship just as they purify their own water now and process waste. Just one more thing to amaze us as to what the future may hold.

Meanwhile, I'm checking out the Hurtigruten destinations. They sound inviting.