The company will collaborate with Norwegian authorities to build electric and hybrid vessels, which will dock at low-emission ports. Norway as a global showcase for green shipping.
DNV GL and 25 other companies from the Norwegian maritime industry have announced their intention to radically transform maritime transport in the Nordic country. Specifically, this involves 5 pilot projects for the development of electric, alternative-fuel-powered and hybrid vessels, which will dock at low-emission ports.
The Green Coastal Shipping Programme will make Norway "a global showcase for green shipping", declared Narve Mjøs, head of the programme. The initiative, which brings together public authorities and private companies from the maritime sector, aims to build the world's first sustainable fleet. Winner of the Lloyd's List Global Awards (the international prize dedicated to the maritime industry) in the Environment category, the programme has been designed to show the world that, with the technologies available today, it is possible to permanently transform short- and medium-haul maritime transport.
Specifically, the plan involves building a plug-in hybrid container ship, powered by an LNG (liquefied natural gas) engine with battery support. The cargo vessel would thus operate at zero emissions during passenger transport and port operations. One of the most interesting solutions is the battery-powered tanker, which will incorporate technologies to recover and use the volatile compounds emitted during loading at sea. But that is not all. The programme also makes room for the development of a low-energy, low-environmental-impact port: smart gates, charging stations for plug-in hybrid vessels, cranes and electric vehicles.
Transport is often discussed in a land-based context, yet it is frequently overlooked that 40 per cent of European goods move by sea, while today more than 400 million passengers still pass through European ports. In this respect, the Green Coastal Shipping Programme does nothing more than put into practice the guidance of the European Parliament, which is calling for a drastic reduction in emissions and in the environmental impact of the maritime sector. "Maritime transport is not subject to any greenhouse gas emission reduction measures," stressed José Inácio Faria, a member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. "If nothing is done, ship emissions will increase by around 50 per cent by 2030."