The world's first hybrid freighter
NOAH and Hagland are making industrial history with the battery hybrid Hagland Captain. The converted bulk carrier will cut NOX emissions by 90%, which is equivalent to 84.000 passenger cars.
On Friday, Prime Minister Erna Solberg launched the pioneer, which sets a new standard for environmentally friendly ship transport.
- This is the world's first plug-in hybrid bulk ship, and is a splendid example of a new technology that is necessary until we find other zero-emission solutions, said Prime Minister Erna Solberg when she visited the ship at Oslo Harbor on Friday. Read the entire post to the Prime Minister here..
Back in 2018, the resource and environmental company NOAH wanted to cut emissions from its transport routes. They approached a number of shipping companies and secured a long-term guarantee agreement with Hagland Shipping that made the investment possible.
- Recently, the UN climate panel came out with an alarming report that really describes how little time we have to drastically cut our greenhouse gas emissions. We believe this ship is a small but important step on the way. Today we are writing a new chapter in the major restructuring that industry in Norway, and in the rest of the world, is going through, says CEO of NOAH Anders Lægreid.
Norwegian technology
Hagland Captain previously transported bulk goods such as timber and stone, and has now been converted into a plug-in hybrid with a 1000 kWh battery that is used during sailing in and out. In port, the ship operates fully electrically when unloading and loading. In addition to the battery technology, the ship is prepared to use alternative fuels for further CO2 cuts.
The rebuilding has been driven by Norwegian expertise and Norwegian technology, which the rest of the world is now looking to. Wärtsilä in Stord and Los elektro in Bømlo have supplied the technology, and the project receives support from the NOX fund.
- This is a new way of thinking about industrial cooperation and ship traffic. There are approximately 5.000 ships in this segment in the world and this ship is the first of these and has become a template for later new builds with battery hybrids. It has been demanding both technically and financially to be first out, but when the ship is now in operation, and the technology works, there is every reason to celebrate, says COO of Hagland Shipping Øivind W. Aanensen.
Big emission cuts
For NOAH, the hybrid ship will now transport masses from construction projects and inorganic waste from industry to Langøya outside Holmestrand. Here, the masses are reused in the reconstruction of the former limestone quarries. The new propulsion solution will reduce NOX emissions by 85-90 per cent, which corresponds to the emissions from 84 cars per year. Diesel use and CO000 emissions are reduced by up to 2 per cent. Compared to older ships that are to be phased out, the battery hybrid has up to 20 per cent less CO40 emissions.
- For us at NOAH, it is important to reduce our footprint, and to be a driving force for emission cuts along the entire value chain. The battery hybrid begins a new chapter in terms of cutting emissions from transport in industry and the scaling possibilities are good, says CEO of NOAH Anders Lægreid.
