Norwegian cruise and transport shipping company Color Line and shipbuilder Ulstein Verft have agreed on a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the construction of the world’s largest plug-in hybrid vessel.

To be designed by Fosen, the vessel, currently dubbed Color Hybrid, will be 160m long and have a capacity of 2,000 passengers and about 500 cars. It is planned to service the Sandefjord-Strömstad route from summer 2019.

The ship will use battery power into and out of the fjord to Sandefjord, meaning it will not emit any greenhouse gases or nitrogen and sulfur compounds in this area.

“The signing of the LOI represents a significant step to realizing the world’s largest plug-in hybrid ship,” said Trond Kleivdal, group president, Color Line. “It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proved its competitiveness internationally.”

With shore power facilities already at ports in Oslo, Larvik and Kristiansand, the installation at Sandefjord means that all Color Line Norwegian ports will have shore power facilities.