Largest Single Package Yet
Norway has confirmed more than 120 million dollars in fresh grants through Enova to pioneer seven clean fueled bulk carriers and the nation first ammonia bunkering network. Three Kamsarmax vessels will sail on ammonia while four coastal bulkers will use liquid or compressed hydrogen. Together these ships are expected to avoid 92,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, roughly equal to the annual exhaust from twenty thousand passenger cars.
How the Projects Fit Together
Funding flows to vessel owners and infrastructure developers at the same time, creating what officials call a circular innovation loop. Azane Fuel Solutions will build three refrigerated ammonia terminals able to transfer more than 100 tonnes an hour, exactly the rate needed to keep deep sea vessels on schedule. Because the bunkering sites will be operational before the first hulls are launched, shipowners gain confidence that fuel will be available from day one.
Technical Features Worth Watching
Hydrogen powered coastal bulkers will carry 17 tonnes of liquid hydrogen on board and convert it to electricity through 3.5-megawatt proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
- Each ship also receives a 1.5 megawatt hour battery, allowing silent zero emission harbor maneuvers.
- The ammonia fueled Kamsarmax design eliminates methane slip, a hidden climate issue for liquefied natural gas propulsion that often goes unmentioned in public debate.
- Wind assisted devices on two smaller carriers will lower energy demand by up to ten percent, demonstrating that modern sail technology blends smoothly with electro fuels.
An insight that is easy to overlook is how Norway links separate industrial clusters. By matching western coastal terminals with Baltic and North Sea trade routes, the program indirectly supports green steel corridors being planned by European mills. In practice the vessels could travel a complete loop without crossing a single conventional fuel pump.
Conclusion
Norway is turning policy ambition into hardware, creating an export ready template that others can follow with reduced risk and quicker payback.