{"id":14332,"date":"2022-07-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=14332"},"modified":"2022-09-16T09:05:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T07:05:10","slug":"this-electric-hybrid-boat-changes-marine-tourism-as-we-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/2022\/07\/04\/this-electric-hybrid-boat-changes-marine-tourism-as-we-know-it\/","title":{"rendered":"This electric-hybrid boat changes marine tourism as we know it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

INNOVATIONS<\/strong>
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW<\/em><\/p>\n\n

This electric-hybrid boat changes marine tourism as we know it<\/h2>\n\n

Daniel Bennett hops aboard the maiden voyage of a first-of-its-kind ship that\u2019s hoping to lead the conversation on sustainable tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

A<\/span>t the top of the world a quiet revolution is taking place. <\/p>\n\n

In Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago a little over 1,000km away from the North Pole, a marine engineering company, a boat builder and a tour operator are piloting a scheme that they hope will convince the world \u2013 or at least a few more customers \u2013 that commercial boats, don\u2019t need to be powered by smelly, sputtering diesels. Instead, they could use something altogether more modern: a hybrid-electric drivetrain. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Seeing the Svalbard landscape is better in fume-free near-silence <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

The scheme works as follows: marine engineering company Volvo Penta has built a state-of-the-art, hybrid-electric drivetrain that\u2019s fitted to a boat built by Marell. This package is then sold to a tour operator called Hurtigruten, who run Norway\u2019s ferries and boat tours in Svalbard. Here\u2019s where it gets interesting. Hurtigruten won\u2019t be buying the boat, they\u2019ll pay for it by the hour. <\/p>\n\n

The aim here is to tempt a marine industry that\u2019s sceptical, risk-averse and wary of sinking costs into new tech to test the waters. \u2018You pay by the hour. We worry about the future\u2019, is the pitch in not so many words. Volvo Penta still owns and services the boat\u2019s machinery; Hurtigruten just operates it. <\/p>\n\n

Why test it in the wild, frozen North? <\/p>\n\n

Well, whether it was intended or not, the Volvo Penta system makes a lot of sense out here. The Arctic\u2019s soundtrack is one of silence. There\u2019s almost nothing here to make a noise. To disturb the peace with the chugging of a diesel motor, while trying to sneak up on a polar bear, one of the planet\u2019s fiercest predators, seems counterproductive at best. And just as importantly, a boat that makes little noise and has less environmental impact as you explore the archipelago\u2019s jaw-dropping beauty will appeal to eco-savvy customers. Plus, if it works here, where the icicles are as tall as people, it should work everywhere else in the world. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Volvo Penta built the hybrid engine that powers the Kvitbj\u00f8rn<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Svalbard also makes a lot of sense as an early adopter, since it\u2019s under serious threat from climate change. The archipelago is one of the most climatically sensitive areas on Earth. Average temperatures have risen here by 1.7\u00b0C in the last decade, twice the Arctic average and seven times the global average. More than anything else, these changes will affect the polar bears who stalk the sea ice for seals that come up to rest. As the sea ice recedes, so will the bears. So the people that live here have to deal with a conflict, one that\u2019s playing out across the planet: when your livelihood depends on tourism, can you keep earning a living in a way that\u2019s sustainable for your, and the planet\u2019s, future?<\/span><\/p>\n\n

One boat isn\u2019t going to answer a question as huge as that, but as I was lucky enough to be invited to see this pioneering boat, I can, at the very least, share my thoughts. There\u2019s an obvious parallel in the car industry that\u2019s almost a clich\u00e9 to bring up, but, that said, I hope this could be a \u2018Tesla\u2019 moment for tour boats. The Kvitbj\u00f8rn (Norwegian for polar bear) is a brilliant innovation that, to this passenger, made a compelling argument. <\/p>\n\n

First off, let\u2019s acknowledge a couple things, Kvitbj\u00f8rn is still a hybrid; there is still a diesel engine for crossing the large expanses of water between peninsulas. <\/p>\n\n

In a place where being marooned means risking becoming stuck in sea ice, I can understand why a captain might want to hold on to his engines. The boat also isn\u2019t totally silent. Standing on the deck you can hear the whir of the motor and gears as they power small thrusters below, but honestly, I\u2019ve used louder kitchen equipment. <\/p>\n\n

Out on the sea ice, where the water starts to clump together in crystals and the glaciers glow blue as they meet the coast, the quiet feels like a blanket. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
It\u2019s hoped the quiet engine will prevent the Kvitbj\u00f8rn from disturbing wildlife<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

The Kvitbj\u00f8rn feels sympathetic to this, doing its best to give way to the occasion. There\u2019s no noxious diesel fumes or noisy engine to ruin the moment. In fact, you don\u2019t even need to drop anchor \u2013 there\u2019s a virtual one. \u2018Drop\u2019 it and the electric thrusters keep the vessel in place, pulsing to stop it running away with the currents. Volvo Penta doesn\u2019t know if the boat is quieter below the water yet \u2013 and therefore kinder to the sealife than a traditional motor \u2013 but is hoping to test it and see how it fares over a reef. <\/p>\n\n

If this does tempt you to sell all your property in order to start operating your own tour boat, then luckily you\u2019d probably be able to drive Kvitbj\u00f8rn too. I did. There\u2019s a traditional wheel, next to a much more clever joystick that lets you rotate the boat on the spot and move side to side without having to turn. It\u2019s just like a video game. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
The Kvitbj\u00f8rn\u2019s cockpit has the feel of a gaming set-up<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

So, is this small scheme enough to change the world? Who can say, but Volvo Penta and Hurtigruten believe that there\u2019s a huge number of trips \u2013 and not just for tourists \u2013 that could be powered completely by electricity, and this is a step towards that future. <\/p>\n\n

This pilot isn\u2019t a one-off. Volvo Penta\u2019s ambition is to scale this system across all its machinery and provide buyers with an electric option. And what about that diesel? Well, Volvo Penta is optimistic that greener fuels (not from fossils) will help mariners transition as battery ranges extend further. <\/p>\n\n

Either way, I\u2019m probably not going to look at a trip on a boat the same way again. <\/p>\n\n

IMAGES: EVELINE LUNDE, VOLVO PENTA X2, S\u00d6REN H\u00c5KANLIND<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daniel Bennett hops aboard the maiden voyage of a first-of-its-kind ship that\u2019s hoping to lead the conversation on sustainable tourism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":14593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"46","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"46","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_46-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_46-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"July-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"July-2022","purple_external_id":"July-2022-46-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"July-2022-46-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000089655||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000089655||","purple_android_product":"2022sciencefocusjuly","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"2022sciencefocusjuly","purple_ios_product":"2022sciencefocusjuly","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"2022sciencefocusjuly","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"0f422ad1-c939-476d-9f82-a410052ad4c3","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-07-05T09:16:50Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"8c88bbe9-c8ac-4e75-943e-f2fa749f8640","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-07-06T12:55:22Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AjIi76cisTnWUPvL6dJ-GQA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[28],"tags":[15],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2.jpg",1250,863,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2-300x207.jpg",300,207,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2-768x530.jpg",768,530,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2-1024x707.jpg",800,552,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2.jpg",1250,863,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/07\/svalbard-dan-2.jpg",1250,863,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Daniel Bennett hops aboard the maiden voyage of a first-of-its-kind ship that\u2019s hoping to lead the conversation on sustainable tourism","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14332"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14332"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14956,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14332\/revisions\/14956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}