Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ sister vessels Borealis and Bolette have made inaugural connections to shore power in calls to San Francisco and Bergen this month.
Borealis became the first of Fred. Olsen’s fleet to utilise shore power, by connecting during a transit call to San Francisco as part of the ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ cruise on 17 April.
A week later, Bolette followed suit by connecting to shore power for seven hours on a call into Bergen, Norway. During this time, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines says the ship was able to utilise up to 27,000 kilowatts of renewable hydropower.
Bolette will connect again when the vessel returns to the Norwegian port on 23 May, with both ships to utilise any future connections when available in other ports of call.
‘Our sister ships, Bolette and Borealis, the newest additions to our fleet, have brought a number of benefits to our brand, not only with enhanced on-board facilities but also with innovative new technologies that allow us to sail the world more sustainably,’ said Stuart Ferguson, Head of Quality and Resource at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
‘Being able to connect to shore power allows us to turn off our engines and make use of renewable energy to keep our ships running while in port.
‘Cruising has pioneered the way among the shipping and maritime industries with these sustainable developments in engineering, and we look forward to being able to connect in more ports as shore power technology becomes more accessible across the world.’