Shell subsidiary Gasnor is to supply LNGto Hurtigruten ships operating along the Norwegian coastunder a long-term agreement.
The agreement lasts to 2030.
“This is a milestone for both companies. Now the world’s most beautiful sea voyage is also the world’s cleanest,” said Gasnor CEO Eilef Stange.
This winter, Hurtigruten will start rebuilding six ships to operate on a combination of battery packs, LNG and liquid biogas (LBG), thus replacing their original diesel engines.
At the end of May, Hurtigruten signed an historic agreement for the delivery of biogas to the vessels engaged in the Norwegian Coastal Express service.
The new contract between Gasnor and Hurtigruten ensures delivery ofNorwegian-produced LNG until 2030.
“While other shipping companies are using cheap, polluting heavy oil, our ships will literally be driven by nature. This is an important step towards a greener shipping and for Norway to reach the ambitious climate goals,” said Hurtigruten’s executive vice president for maritime operations, Bent Martini.
The use of LNG, in combination with battery packs and biogas, will mean emissions will be reduced further.
In addition, the ships will be prepared to receiver shore power.
Bunkering of Hurtigruten’s gas-powered vessels will take place in Bergen.Gas-fired fuel will be provided from Gasnor’s production plant in Øygarden, just north of Bergen. The gas will be delivered by a custom built bunkering vessel.
”Hurtigruten creates several thousand jobs along the Norwegian coast each year. With such a large agreement on the supply of Norwegian-produced natural gas, we contribute to creating yet more. At the same time, we can show the whole industry what is achievable with groundbreaking Norwegian technology,” Martini added.
The first of the hybrid powered Hurtigruten vessels will sail along the Norwegian coast next year.
“We at Gasnor look at this as a very important agreement. It shows how gas operation can ensure that Hurtigruten calls at the 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes with cleaner ships, virtually without environmentally harmful emissions, and with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, compared to all other alternatives,”claimed Stange.
Meanwhile, the delivery of Hurtigruten’s expedition ship, ‘Roald Amundsen’, has been slightly delayed leading to the cancellation of a marketing visit to Hamburg.
