A Norwegian consortium has been formed to develop a new solution for de-carbonising maritime transport.
This will be achieved by capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-fuelled solide oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power trains.
The project called LNGameChanger is being led by maritime technology supplier, HAV Group, plus coastal cruise operator, Havila Voyages, natural gas company Molgas Norway (formerly Gasnor), and Norwegian research institution SINTEF.
The potentially game-changing research project was unveiled last Wednesday at a press conference in Ålesund, Norway, held on board Havila Voyages’ coastal cruise ship ’Havila Capella’.
“The LNGameChanger project aims to create the basis of a new product in form of a low-or zero-emission solution for the maritime industry, strongly positioned for a growing LNG market and infrastructure with superior efficiency to alternative solutions.
“If this objective is achieved, LNG can become not only a transitional fuel, but a permanently viable option in low-emission maritime transport, alongside for example hydrogen,” said Gunnar Larsen, HAV Group CEO.
The project’s primary objective is to design an innovative, de-carbonised maritime LNG-fuelled power train, combining SOFC and high-efficiency on board CO2 liquefaction and storage, resulting in a CO2-equivalent intensity of between the 2045 and 2050 emission limits.
Secondary objectives are to confirm energy efficiency and emission targets for the SOFC power train with CO2 capture in stand-alone mode.
In addition, this project also aims to establish a user case with a vessel design and relevant operational profile to extract load profile characteristics and perform voyage simulations for the subject vessel.
The user case may be Havila Voyages’ four coastal cruise ships. The performance of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power train integrated with the on board CO2 capture and storage (OCCS) will be determined.
It will also evaluate overall space and weight requirements and adaptability for marine applications.
Havila Voyages’ four coastal cruise ships all use LNG as fuel in combination with battery power.
“We have clear ambitions to move towards carbon neutrality and eventually zero emissions, and that can be done with our current fleet.
“This project is of great interest for us as our main power source today is LNG. We are eagerly awaiting the results and possibilities that lay ahead,” said Bent Martini, Havila Voyages CEO.
“To be able to meet future requirements and reach the goals for a greener future, we cannot lock ourselves in one direction. We have to investigate the possibilities available to find the best solution, both for the environment and from a business perspective,” he added.
In addition to the required on board processes, LNGameChanger will also address the infrastructure needs related to de-centralised CO2 collection and transport in port. This includes the potential for combining this logistically with LNG distribution.
“This technology could provide a clear pathway for large scale, low emission solution that leverages well known and robust supply chain of energy to hard to abate sectors.
“Molgas Energy supports developments that aim to reduce emissions based on available technology and product availability,” said Anders Torp Rød, Molgas Norway Managing Director, which is a leading buyer, distributor and seller of natural gas to industrial and marine sectors in Norway.
According to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights (AFI) platform, the number of LNG-fuelled ships in operation doubled between 2021 and 2024, with a record number of deliveries (169) last year.
By the end of 2024, 641 LNG-powered ships were in operation and this number is expected to double by the end of the decade.
“It is also worth remembering that between 2024 and 2026, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is gradually extended to include emissions in the maritime transport sector, and from 2025 the FuelEU Maritime regulation has entered into force. This gives extra incentives for the development and deployment of technologies for reducing or eliminating maritime CO2 emissions,” Larsen added.
The Norwegian Research Council has awarded LNGameChanger a grant of around NOK5 mill over the project’s two-year duration, providing ground for SINTEF’s research activities.
The three project partners – HAV Group, Havila Voyages and Molgas Norway – will be actively involved in the project execution. For HAV Group, this includes involving technical experts for ship and systems integration, regulatory compliance and risk assessment, as well as overall project management.
LNGameChanger’s project first step is to conduct necessary feasibility studies and simulations to define the readiness to take the de-carbonised SOFC power train solution to a subsequent prototype demonstration level in a successor project.
“We are excited to be a part of this project. SINTEF is involved in a growing portfolio of projects that focus on different solutions for de-carbonisation of the maritime industry.
“A low-to-zero-emission concept that combines an established maritime fuel with innovative CO2 capture technology is a promising solution that can be applied to many different vessel types,” said David Berstad, researcher at SINTEF.
Havila Kystruten will contribute valuable operational data from its LNG-powered coastal route ships, which already combine LNG with battery operation to reduce emissions by more than 35%.
The company said it saw the LNGameChanger project as an opportunity to further develop its sustainable solutions, with ambitions to achieve low or zero CO2 emissions in the future with its current fleet.
