Innovative Egil Ulvan Rederi hydrogen-powered vessel will be fitted with two large rotor sails.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to Norwegian ship owner Egil Ulvan Rederi AS for its zero-emission self-discharging hydrogen-fuelled bulk carrier, With Orca. The vessel is planned to enter into a long-term transport contract with cargo owners Felleskjøpet Agri and Heidelberg Cement.

With Orca will be fully zero-emission in all operations. It will be powered by hydrogen, stored onboard in compressed form, and the hydrogen combustion engine will be optimised for increased efficiency. The vessel will also have a fuel cell system for energy production in low load conditions. A significant part of the energy required to operate the 88 m/5,500 tonne vessel will be harvested directly from the wind through two large rotor sails. The vessel also has the ability to store excess energy in batteries.

Illustration: Norwegian Ship Design Company

LR awarded the AiP after completion of a risk-based HAZID certification. LR was selected as the class society for this complex project because of its experience and expertise with hydrogen-fuelled vessels and projects using novel fuels. The project marks a milestone in the journey towards a zero-emission future for the shipping industry. The vessel is designed by Norwegian Ship Design and the hydrogen will be supplied by Statkraft. It is scheduled to enter operation in early 2024.

The vessel’s sailing route will mostly be in open waters in the North Sea, where weather conditions are ideal for wind-assisted propulsion. With Orca will combine the cargoes of Heidelberg Cement and Felleskjøpet, carrying aggregates from western to eastern Norway and grain in the opposite direction.

“Receiving the AiP from Lloyd’s Register is an important milestone for us. We have been working with the project for more than 1.5 years, and the AiP confirms that we have made good design choices in our effort to create a safe, efficient and feasible concept. We have learned a lot in the process towards the AiP, and LR has been very professional. We want to highlight their facilitation of the HAZID, which was skilfully carried out to an impressive level of detail. We look forward to continue working towards realising this groundbreaking project.”, says Ivar Ulvan, Owner and Project Manager of Egil Ulvan Rederi.
“We would like to commend both LR and the Norwegian Maritime Authority for their professional and positive involvement in this project. We have been working hard evaluating different solutions for the hydrogen system onboard. We have developed a unique and safe hydrogen concept, and we used hydrogen’s special properties as one of the means to achieve this.”, says Gjermund Johannesen, Norwegian Ship Design CEO.
“Our aim is to achieve sustainable fleet renewal, phasing out old tonnage. The project was initiated to set the standard for others to follow, and we are pleased that we now have accomplished this important step”, says Per-Kenneth Øye, Chief Transport Officer at Felleskjøpet Agri SA.
Lars-Erik Marcussen, Project Manager Logistics, Heidelberg Cement, said: “We are pleased to have reached this milestone on the road to use hydrogen at sea. Sustainable shipping is needed in all industries, and we hope this sets a standard for swift implementation of new, green technology.” LR is actively involved in a number of maritime decarbonisation projects though its Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, both in this region and globally, helping to accelerate the safe and sustainable decarbonisation of the maritime sector through leadership, collaboration and evidence-based decision-making. Meet LR’s experts at Nor-Shipping on stand C01 – 16, taking place 4-7 April 2022 in Oslo, Norway.

About Egil Ulvan Rederi

Trondheim-based Egil Ulvan Rederi is a leader in cargo and fish shipping, with 100 years of experience on the Norwegian market. The company owns and operates a modern and environmentally friendly fleet of eight vessels, of which six are general cargo vessels and two bulk fish feed carriers.

About Norwegian Ship Design – TNSDC

Førde-based Norwegian Ship Design is a leader in the development of innovative, energy efficient, low and zero emission vessel concepts. In addition to the With Orca project, the company is designing two ocean going, hydrogen fuelled ROPAX vessels for the Norwegian ferry operator Torghatten Nord. The two ferries shall operate, from October 2025, in harsh conditions above the Arctic Circle crossing between the mainland and the Lofoten archipelago.

About Felleskjøpet Agri and Heidelberg Cement

Felleskjøpet Agri is a Norwegian agricultural cooperative that serves as a retailer of agricultural operating equipment including animal food and seeds. It is also a wholesaler of grains. Felleskjøpet shows special attention to the climate and the environment, both when it comes to the company’s services and to operation goods and production solutions they deliver to the agricultural industry. The goal is to reduce GHG emissions from the company’s transport activities by 50% within 2030.

Heidelberg Cement is one of the world’s largest building materials companies. Heidelberg Cement has made an ambitious target in 2030 concerning CO2 emissions. Within that year the company has stated it will have 30% less CO2 emissions compared to 1990 level. For the company’s Norwegian-based activities, the target is to have carbon-neutral products within the same year.

For media enquiries contact:

Nicola Good
Head of External Relations, Lloyd’s Register
M: +44 7855 113 273
E: nicola.good@lr.org