As the building of the new vessel for Gordon River Cruises on Tasmania's west coast continues to progress, we can now reveal an exciting first for the company.

The vessel will be fitted with both diesel engines and electric motors, meaning that we can switch between one or the other or both, depending on the location of the vessel at the time and the prevailing weather conditions.

This will reduce fuel consumption and our impact on the environment.

In addition, and perhaps the most exciting, when we enter the Gordon River we will switch the diesel propulsion engines off, leaving only the electric drive.

This will mean guests on-board will enjoy a cruising experience like nothing that has ever been available in Tasmania's world heritage area before – quiet cruising, which is completely in keeping with the values of this remarkable place.

We believe this is the first commercial passenger vessel of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and are pleased to be able to bring this experience to members, other Tasmanians and visitors to our island state.

The hybrid drive system has been developed by one of the world's leaders in marine propulsion – MTU, based in Germany. Right now there is only one other vessel with this same drive package – a spectacular private yacht recently launched and cruising in the Caribbean.

The new Gordon River Cruises vessel is due to launch in mid-2018.

For more details and to watch the video visit gordonrivercruises.com.au/2018.