Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has announced a partnership with Norwegian shipbuilder Eidesvik to convert an offshore platform supply vessel to operate with ammonia fuel. The vessel is called Viking Energy and it is currently on contract to Norwegian energy company Equinor.
Equinor is contributing to the financing of the conversion, which is scheduled for 2026. As part of the project, Wärtsilä will supply the engine, fuel gas supply system, and exhaust system, making it the first vessel to use Wärtsilä’s recently released 4-stroke ammonia engine.
“In just 25 years – the lifetime of a single vessel – shipping needs to get to net zero emissions. Achieving this will require coordinated action by all maritime industry stakeholders to bring about the system change needed to accept a new generation of sustainable fuels,” said Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä.
“With this new contract, together with Eidesvik, Wärtsilä is proud to be at the forefront of this movement,” Agnevall added. “Decarbonization is front and center of our strategy and we are committed to developing and delivering sustainable solutions which not only ensure the viability of sustainable fuels, but also their safety.”
Wärtsilä recently announced a partnership with Italian company Gas and Heat and RINA to develop an ammonia-fueled bunkering vessel that will deliver and operate on green ammonia fuel (GM June 7, p. 25).