Norwegian shipping company Møre Sjø has signed a contract with Turkey’s Gelibol Shipyard for the construction of two zero-emission hydrogen-powered bulk carriers, scheduled for delivery in 2027. The cost of the project has not been disclosed.
The new vessel was designed by Naval Dynamics, a ship design company, and e-Cap Marine in Germany is responsible for providing the onboard hydrogen energy solution.
The hydrogen-powered bulk carrier is 85 meters long and has a deadweight of 4,000 tons. After delivery, it will mainly operate in northern and northwest Norway, responsible for transporting goods such as sand, stone and asphalt. It is reported that one of the two new vessels has signed a charter agreement with Nordasfalt.
Møre Sjø has signed a hydrogen supply agreement with GreenH, and its new shipbuilding plan has received investment support from ENOVA and the NOx Fund, as well as financial assistance from NRP and technical assistance from the Green Shipping Program.
Møre Sjø stated: “We has spent several years on this project and has received good support. The existing bulk carriers are outdated, so our company had to completely rethink. After a careful assessment of the maturity of the technology, cost-effectiveness and reliability of the fuel supply, the company chose a hydrogen-powered vessel powered by hydrogen fuel cells. When the vessel is completed in early 2027, the price of hydrogen is expected to be on par with the price of marine diesel, which may be an alternative. All fossil fuels will gradually face increasingly stringent CO2 taxes, but hydrogen is not subject to this. The low electricity prices for hydrogen production in the Nordic region, coupled with the support of Enova and the NOx Fund, played a key role in the fuel choice.”