Norway considers zero emissions for service boats
The Norwegian government is considering zero and low emission requirements for aquaculture service vessels, it said in a green shipping action plan launched yesterday.
The government wants to halve the emissions from shipping and fishing by 2030 and stimulate the development of zero and low emission solutions in all vessel categories.
The first step in achieving the goal is through the launch of an action plan for green shipping.
“Norway is the world leader in green restructuring in all parts of shipping, but the pace of change must be increased significantly to meet these ambitions,” the government said in a press release.
Competitive advantage
The release stated that the government will consider requirements for the introduction of zero and low emission solutions for service vessels in the aquaculture industry.
“Norway is one of the few high-cost countries that still build ships. In return, these are very high-tech and advanced, which is an important competitive advantage for the shipyard,” stated the government.
“The yards have changed from mainly the construction of offshore vessels a few years ago, to the construction of varied ship types such as well boats, fishing / aquaculture vessels and passenger / cruise ships.”
The action plan stated that change could be prompted by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's new requirements for wastewater treatment equipment on wellboats, which come into force in 2021.
“This will probably lead to a generation shift in the fleet, since rebuilding will not be appropriate for older and small wellboats.”
Carbon tax
The action plan’s authors also believe that the combination of an escalating tax on carbon dioxide emissions and support from the government’s green funding agency Enova for energy and climate measures gives the aquaculture industry incentives to develop and implement low and zero emission solutions.
Enova has so far granted support for a number of projects in the aquaculture industry, including for workboats and wellboats, but also for the industry’s commitment to shore power rather than using generators.
“The world’s first battery-hybrid workboat for use in fish farms was launched and put into service in 2017, and a battery-hybrid harvesting boat has been put into operation,” stated the action plan.
“Both vessels have received support from Enova. In combination with support through the funding agency, it will be possible to achieve a faster phasing-in of new technologies and solutions in this segment using environmental requirements and regulations.”
