Antarctica21’s Hybrid-Electric Magellan Discoverer Enters Service Dec. 15
Limited to 88 guests for Antarctic fly-cruises, passengers will take charter flights from Chile to King George Island to board, avoiding the Drake Passage crossing.
Antarctica21’s Magellan Discoverer is heading to Punta Arenas, Chile, for its November 6 christening after the operator took delivery, completed registration and provisioned the vessel on October 30. The christening falls on Chile’s Day of the Antarctic. The hybrid-electric polar expedition ship is scheduled to begin passenger operations on December 15 with a voyage through southern Chile and Antarctica.
Designed and built by ASENAV in Valdivia, the vessel took nearly three years to complete, involving more than 500 employees, contractors and suppliers. ASENAV describes it as the first hybrid-electric expedition cruise ship built in the Americas.
Before the handover, Magellan Discoverer departed the shipyard on October 26 for final trials near Corral, following an earlier round of testing completed in early October. The trials included checks of navigation equipment and safety systems, along with other technical installations.
Jaime Vasquez, president of Antarctica21, described the ship as “a reflection of national talent and what we are capable of achieving when we strive for excellence.”
Hybrid power and polar capability
The 94-meter Magellan Discoverer has a PC6-rated hull and IMO Tier III engines equipped with selective catalytic reduction. Its propulsion installation combines MAN engines, Corvus Energy battery storage and two ABB Azipod units.
ABB’s Onboard DC Grid integrates generator power with the batteries. ASENAV says the installation is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and underwater noise. The vessel’s open-water cruising speed is 14 knots.
A heat-recovery system captures energy from engine exhaust for water heating, while the elevators recover energy during braking and convert it into electricity to recharge the batteries.
A vessel-performance management system uses approximately 100 sensors to monitor energy consumption, generator performance and navigation speed. The ship also has reverse-osmosis equipment to produce freshwater from seawater.
Capacity tailored to fly-cruise operations
Magellan Discoverer can accommodate up to 96 passengers on conventional sea voyages, with capacity limited to 88 guests for Antarctica21’s Antarctic fly-cruise program. The vessel will carry 67 expedition staff and crew.
Its 40 cabins and suites span five categories, with private balconies throughout. Guest facilities include a lounge, dining room, library, expedition preparation area and a wraparound walking deck. Ten Zodiacs will support expedition operations.
The new ship will sail alongside Magellan Explorer, which ASENAV also built for Antarctica21 and delivered in 2019. Magellan Discoverer is joining the operator’s 2026–27 Antarctic season.
During most of the season, the vessels will operate Antarctica21’s fly-cruise itineraries. Passengers begin their journeys in Chile and take charter flights to King George Island to board the ship, avoiding the Drake Passage crossing by sea.
