This content was published before 1 July 2021 by GIEK or Eksportkreditt Norge
Color Line has used export financing to build the innovative ship at Ulstein Shipyard in Ulsteinvik in Møre og Romsdal. The ship has been designed by Fosen Yard. “After extensive talks with shipyards in both Asia and Europe, we opted for Ulsteinvik. Ulstein Shipyard offered a competitive price and, most importantly, were able to meet our quality requirements for the ship,” explains Helge Otto Mathisen, Senior Vice President Communications and Public Relations at Color Line. Just over 70 per cent of deliveries for the ship have been supplied by companies in the Norwegian maritime cluster. “This is testament to the Norwegian maritime industry’s competitiveness when it comes to building advanced ships. And the Color Hybrid employs some particularly advanced solutions with regard to sustainability and the environment. This showcases the Norwegian maritime industry at its very best,” Mathisen continues. At 160 metres long and with a capacity of 2,000 passengers and 430–500 vehicles, the Color Hybrid is the world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship. “This is a fantastic ship and we are proud to have helped build the Color Hybrid in Norway,” explains Tellef K. Tellefsen, Senior Vice President Shipping at Export Credit Norway.

Noiseless power

The ship will run solely on batteries when entering, leaving and inside Sandefjord’s inner harbour. Fully charged, the batteries will power the ship away from the quay in Sandefjord and onwards for a further 30 minutes past Kvernberget on the outer reaches of the fjord – and do the same on the return journey. The batteries will enable the ship to leave and enter Sandefjord’s waters almost silently with no emissions of harmful greenhouse gases or nitrogen or sulphur compounds. A hundred metres from the ship, noise levels will be equivalent to a normal conversation between two people. The five-megawatt-hour batteries are charged with environmentally friendly electricity via an electricity cable connected to facilities on the quay in Sandefjord. The battery pack weighs 65 tonnes and takes an hour to charge. The ship also has a five-megawatt heat reservoir that utilises heat from both the wash and exhaust gases for heating. Together with an optimal hull design, this helps make the vessel energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. “The world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship has been constructed to help us achieve our goal of further developing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for Norwegian shipping,” explains Color Line CEO Trond Kleivda in a recent press release. Color Line has produced three attractive short films showing young environmentalist Caroline exploring the vessel.

Norwegian technology

In February 2017, Color Line entered into a contract with Ulstein Shipyard to build the hybrid ship. The impressive vessel is packed to the brim with cutting-edge Norwegian technology. Over 70 per cent of deliveries for the Color Hybrid have been supplied by companies in the Norwegian maritime cluster. “The purpose of offering competitive export financing is to create Norwegian jobs and generate value here in Norway. This is something that Color Line as buyer and Ulstein Shipyard as exporter have more than achieved,” explains Tellefsen. The ship’s highly innovative profile was one of the main reasons why the Color Hybrid won the prestigious Ship of the Year award earlier in the year.

The passenger experiences

Passengers on board the Color Hybrid will also have an exciting new experience according to Color Line. The ship features an expanded and improved shopping and service, three eateries and on deck, a greenhouse run on waste heat.