Green coastal shipping in Norway

DNV GL said that Norway already has a leading position in this field and is at a good starting point to more broadly implement new technologies in LNG and battery power. To further this end, it has launched a new initiative called the Green Coastal Shipping programme.

“We envisage a fleet of offshore vessels, tankers, cargo, container, bulk and passenger ships, ferries, fishing and aquaculture vessels, tugs and other coastal vessels, run entirely or partly using batteries, LNG or other green fuels,” said DNV GL’s Narve Mjøs, programme director for the Green Coastal Shipping programme.

This year, the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris is to negotiate a new climate agreement that will entail new obligations and the implementation of new climate measures including environmentally friendly fuels and new energy-efficient ship designs. So working together as an industry to create green solutions will become even more fundamental.

The Green Coastal Shipping programme has been developed to help implement the government’s new maritime strategy and will be a joint effort by several industries, ministries and state departments. It is hoped that it will be a driver for innovation and green workplaces and provide major export opportunities for the maritime, energy and supplier industries.

The declaration has been signed by a total of 18 companies and organisations so far, together with the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Seafood policy and Ministry of Climate and Environment.