A group of Norwegian companies have launched a project to develop a system that captures carbon dioxide point-source emissions onboard liquefied natural gas-powered cruise ships.
The LNGameChanger project is led by maritime technology company HAV Group and includes coastal cruise operator Havila Voyages, LNG supplier Molgas Norway, and research institute SINTEF.
The consortium is aiming to design a low- or zero-emission power system using solid oxide fuel cells that run on LNG to generate electricity onboard. As the LNG is converted into energy, CO2 is produced, which the system will capture, liquefy and store onboard instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
HAV Group CEO Gunnar Larsen said the technology could reposition LNG as a long-term low-emission solution for the maritime sector, rather than a transitional fuel.
Illustration of how LNGameChanger could look on board Havila Voyages’ ships ©HAV Group
“If this objective is achieved, LNG can become not only a transitional fuel, but a permanently viable option in low-emission maritime transport,” said Larsen.
The two-year project is supported by a NOK 5m ($474,000) grant from the Norwegian Research Council. The funding will also support feasibility studies for installing the system on Havila Voyages’ fleet of four LNG-powered vessels, including performance testing and voyage simulations.
Alongside onboard development, the project will examine the infrastructure required for decentralised CO2 offloading and transport at port, with the option to fit into existing LNG bunkering systems.
