Hagland Shipping plans to convert four bulk carriers to run entirely on battery power. Norway’s state-owned funding agency Enova has awarded NOK 235.9 million (€22.6 million) to Hagland Bulk Transport KS for the project. Swappable batteries are intended to avoid lengthy charging stops in port.
The vessels are intended to operate along the Norwegian coast and on short-sea routes to northern Europe. According to Enova, they would be the first bulk carriers to operate entirely on battery power between Norway and other countries.
Each vessel is to be fitted with a 40 MWh battery system. In port, depleted batteries would be swapped for fully charged units. Zen is to operate the battery-swapping and charging infrastructure. The vessels are also to be fitted with wing sails to reduce energy consumption.
Kristiansand Havn has been awarded NOK 15 million (€1.4 million) for a charging and battery-swapping facility on Gismerøya in Mandal. The facility is scheduled to begin operating towards the end of 2028.
Paal W. Aanensen of Hagland Shipping described the grant as an important step. Questions about infrastructure, operating procedures and regulatory requirements still need to be resolved, he said. The “Hagland Progress”, built in 2023, is among the four vessels earmarked for conversion.
Enova funds twelve vessels
The Hagland grant is part of a funding round totalling around NOK 420 million (€40.2 million) for twelve battery-powered vessels and two charging facilities. The round covers the four Hagland conversions and eight newbuilds.
Oslo-based Bulk Loaders has been awarded NOK 89.2 million (€8.6 million) for a battery-powered cargo ship that will primarily serve the oil industry between Stavanger and Kristiansund. The new vessel will replace an older ship and is designed to carry both dry cargo and liquid products. Bulk Loaders also aims to shift some freight from road to sea.
The vessel will have a battery capacity of 15 MWh and will mainly recharge via shore power during loading and unloading.
Grieg New Energy has been awarded a total of NOK 64.5 million (€6.2 million) for two battery-powered aquaculture service boats and a charging facility. Steinarbo Invest has been awarded NOK 15 million (€1.4 million) for five new battery-powered aquaculture workboats.
Enova estimates that the funded projects will cut CO₂ emissions by around 21,300 tonnes a year. The agency says that, on average, applicants now request less than half as much funding per unit of battery capacity as they did two years ago.
Short-sea shipping at the HANSA Forum
Short-sea shipping will also feature at the HANSA Forum in Hamburg on 26 November. In her keynote, “The Short-sea Fleet – Trends and Expectations”, Sabine Kilper, Senior Research Analyst at Toepfer Transport, will discuss current developments and the outlook for the European short-sea fleet.
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