Still under construction and due for delivery in spring 2021, Le Commandant Charcot will be the first electric hybrid icebreaker/ cruise ship powered by both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine diesel and, being equipped with the latest generation battery-packs, she will also be able to sail using electrical power only for short periods of time.
She is named after Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1867 – 1936), who was a French scientist, doctor in medicine and polar scientist. He is famous for his Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.
Ponant was founded in 1988 by a group of French merchant navy officers and currently operates a sailing vessel Le Ponant, 4 vessels of the Le Boreal-class (10,700GRT) and from 2020 6 ships of the Explorer-class (9,900GRT). Just like the new trio for HAPAG-Lloyd expedition cruises, Le Commandant Charcot will be built in two locations by the Vard yard (part of the Fincantieri shipyard conglomerate) in Rumania and Norway at a cost of 274 million euro. Not exactly a small expedition cruise ship, measuring 31,750GRT having a length of 150m, a width of 25.6m and a draft of 10m. Her interiors are designed by Stirling Design International, France which has specialized in design, architecture and marine engineering of passenger vessels, foremost mega-yachts. Stirling Design also designed the upper deck’s structure.
Vard Rumania built the hull and part of the superstructure and then the half finished ship was towed on March 29 this year to the Sovik-branch of Vard in Norway where she arrived after a six week journey through the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Strait of Gibraltar and along the coast of Western Europe. Le Commandant Charcot has been technically developed with the help of Aker Arctic who designed the ship from the main deck down (they addressed the hull structure, technical systems, safety measures). In preparation of the ship’s design, Aker Arctic gathered and analysed ice data over a period of ten years to get insight in how harsh and demanding the circumstances when sailing deep into the polar regions would be. Their DAS-Double-Action-System info has been implemented on board, enabling the ship to sail through pack-ice, not only forward, but also in reverse. It will be possible for Le Commandant Charcot to sail through 2.5m thick ice, which means ice that has been “growing” in thickness for years. Wartsila duel-fuel-engines will make it possible to use LNG which is extremely environmental friendly. She will be a fully equipped icebreaker, but the first one designed specifically for passenger ship/ expedition cruising.
She will also be able to use marine diesel as secondary fuel. The Wartsila engines, 4 Wärtsilä 14V31DF engines of 7,700 kW each and 2 Wärtsilä 10V31DF ones with an output of 5,500 kW each are state of the art as they can switch form LNG to marine diesel, even while being in operation. The LNG tanks (the LNG storing tanks have been delivered by GTT, Gaztransport & Technigaz SA, which is a French multinational naval engineering company specializing in containment systems dedicated to the transport and storage of liquefied gas worldwide). Le Commandant Charcot has extra LNG-storage capacity installed so she will have a very large sailing range, an important advantage for an expedition cruise ship as LNG is not easily available in remote places. Apart from her dual-fuel engines, Le Commandant Charcot also has high performance battery-packs installed (like the Roald Amundsen en Fridtjof Nansen of Hurtigruten which were the first expedition cruise ships with battery packs) enabling her to sail short distances using electrical power, which means absolute silent sailing, no disturbance of wildlife and of course with zero emissions. Several different technologies have been combined in the ship’s design to minimize environmental impact like and advanced wastewater treatment system and a waste heat recovery system.
ABB, a company specializing in development and installation of Azipods as part of a range of technical solutions on offer for the shipping industry, will deliver the Azipod units which have a combined output of 34 MW. Screws fitted have a diameter of 6 metres and and give her a service speed of 15 knots in open sea.
Ponant being very commited to protecting the world’s oceans and polar regions in particular, has founded the Ponant Foundation in 2018. As Ponant states: “For more than thirty years, we have taken our guests to the most secret places on the planet, where nature reigns supreme. This choice brings with it responsibilities towards the environment and the indigenous peoples that we meet. In order to promote sustainable tourism and to preserve the oceans and polar regions we founded the Ponant Foundation to encourage exchanges between peoples by supporting projects focusing on research, awareness-raising and conservation. We protect best what we know well and aim at responsible tourism.”
And this philosophy is clearly visible on board Le Commandant Charcot, as it has special laboratories and scientific equipment on board enabling scientists to study the different eco-systems and collect data. In this way, Ponant creates a platform on board its latest newbuilding to observe, study and collect data which can increase existing knowledge and can contribute to protecting the oceans and in particular the polar-regions environment. With her PC2 ice-classification, Le Commandant Charcot can navigate remote regions like the North-Pole, Ross Sea and Charcot island to name but a few. 270 guests have 135 suites to choose from, 68 of these with balconies. Aft of decks 6 and 7 there are four duplex or split-level suites (80 square metres) and the owner’s-suite on deck 8 is most impressive. It has a 122 square metre private terrace.
Passengers are being looked after by 187 crew. Completely aft on its top deck (deck 9) a pool is situated with magnificent views over the stern which spans the entire width of the ship. An observation lounge and bar with panoramic windows, two restaurants both offering impressive views, the main restaurant and the grill restaurant, an outside seating area adjacent to the lido, an inside pool with a winter garden, the main lounge with bar and forward of it the theatre, all fitted out in the lines luxury boutique style make Le Commandat Charcot a truly five-star expedition cruise ship. A fleet of 16 Zodiacs and two helicopters for which two hangars have been constructed at the ship’s bows will ensure spectacular excursions for Le Commandant Charcot’s guests. With this new ship, with which passengers can reach all remote corners of the world surrounded by luxury, and which is equipped with groundbreaking technology, Ponant has an important iron in the fire as Le Commandant Charcot will without any doubt strengthen their position in the deluxe-expedition-cruises market.
