Kongsberg Maritime is a principal partner in a pioneering new project, FlexBulk, to develop and build five fully-operational, ammonia-powered short sea bulk carriers. Ammonia is considered by many industry stakeholders to be the most promising zero carbon fuel for the future.
Viridis Bulk Carriers is a new shipowner in the short sea bulk segment, focusing solely on vessels powered by ammonia. The company, a Norwegian joint venture whose aim is to develop a fleet of zero-emission bulk carriers, will own and operate the vessels built in the FlexBulk project. FlexBulk has attracted a grant from the Norwegian government under its PILOT-E scheme, a funding initiative for the Norwegian business sector.
Five, multipurpose bulk vessels will be built, each of which is scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2026. The shipyards for the project are yet to be confirmed.
The power generator and battery hybrid system will use ammonia to generate propulsive power, and an exhaust gas aftertreatment system, also optimised for ammonia, will eliminate any by-products. This ensures that CO2 emissions are not replaced with other harmful pollutants.
The new vessels will include built-in support for batteries and a shore power connection, as part of an ammonia-electric hybrid power system that will enable silent manoeuvring and cargo operations.
The five vessels will have a single base design that can be configured for different types of cargo, ranging from wind turbine blades to grain shipments.
Currently, ammonia is more expensive than conventional marine fuels. However, the cost is expected to drop and become more competitive in the market in the years to come.