Organic waste powers cruise ships

In what is the largest ever global contract for supply of LBG to a shipping operator, Hurtigruten and Biokraft have entered into a deal lasting seven and a half years. The partnership includes near-daily delivery of biogas produced from organic waste to Hurtigruten ships, the first cruise ships in the world to be powered by fossil-free LBG.

“This is a large and significant move for Hurtigruten, for Biokraft, for green solutions in the global shipping industry, and most importantly, for the environment,” said Hurtigruten’s chief executive, Daniel Skjeldam.

Battery-biogas hybrid ships

Hurtigruten will replace conventional engines with gas-powered engines and large battery packs on at least six of their ships by 2021. The hybrid ships will run on a combination of clean electric power, LNG and LBG.

“We are proud to partner with Hurtigruten and see this as a major step towards green and sustainable shipping,” said Biokraft’s chief executive, Håvard Wollan. “It is very encouraging to see that Hurtigruten once again proves their stance as the world’s greenest cruise line, setting an example by effectively being the company that is introducing biogas as fuel in the shipping industry.”

Biokraft describes the Hurtigruten deal ‘a groundbreaking change for the future of the shipping and cruise industry’. “Waste can be profitably transformed into high quality clean renewable fuel, that can move buses or trucks, and as Hurtigruten shows, power cruise ships,” said Mr Wollan.

The first delivery of Biokraft-produced biogas to Hurtigruten is expected to take place in 2020.