German shipbuilder Meyer Werft is planning a fully electric, battery-powered cruise ship under its Project Vision programme, which targets a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed vessel would use a battery system developed by Corvus Energy, based on technology already used in electric ferries worldwide. Instead of a conventional engine room, the ship would be designed with a large battery room and recharge while in port.
Meyer Werft said the technology is ready and that delivery could take place by 2031 if a contract is secured this year. The main challenge remains port infrastructure.
Cruise ships call at around 1,500 ports each year, while only 41 ports currently have the capacity to provide electrical power to one ship. Meyer Werft expects that about 100 European ports could have suitable infrastructure for battery-powered cruise ships by 2030.
Industry representatives said technologies such as battery-powered vessels are important for meeting the cruise sector’s environmental targets for 2050. Charles “Bud” Darr of Cruise Lines International Association said the technology could suit itineraries where ports are close together, including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords, the Baltic Sea, Florida, and the Bahamas.
