The space-age sightseeing vessel Vision of the Fjords, which went into service in July, has been crowned Ship of the Year 2016 by Norwegian maritime magazine Skipsrevyen.
Candidates are nominated by the readership and the winner is decided by an expert jury chaired by Norwegian Maritime Directorate chief Olav Akselsen.
Akselsen was on hand with Norwegian trade state secretary Dylek Ayhan to present the award at the SMM conference underway in Hamburg.
"We're gathered here to honour Norwegian competence with regards to design, operation and building of some of the most sophisticated ships worldwide," state secretary Ayhan told the crowd outside the Norwegian pavilion.
The carbon-fibre-composite catamaran, which is equipped with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion, was designed by naval architect Torstein Aa of the Brodrene Aa shipyard in western Norway, a specialist builder of fast ferries.
Its lines were inspired by winding mountain paths typical of the fjord landscape, with a ramped deck to maximise the sightseeing experience. ABB Marine was responsible for the battery technology, facilitating a smooth and pollution-free cruising experience.
The batteries can be charged by onshore installations at both ends of its journeys between Flam and Gudvangen in the Naeroyfjord, a UNESCO world heritage site.
The ship is owned by tourist operator The Fjords, which is committed to greening the sightseeing business with investment in eco-friendly technologies.
"I believe we need to ask ourselves what's next," Aylan said. "What will the next generation of shipping look like? I think we can all agree that part of the future of this industry is to make a shift to green technology, and to make green solutions sought after in the global market."
She noted that like all other industries, the (Norwegian) maritime industry has to reinvent itself again and again to be competitive in the world market -- reflecting the primary themes of digitalisation and decarbonisation at SMM.
"The Norwegian government´s maritime strategy is to achieve a blue growth for a green future. This Ship of the Year is a striking example of how a green maritime sector can be truly competitive," Ayhan concluded.
