Kongsberg Maritime has been selected as the lead integrator for a major green upgrade of the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s (NCA) hybrid vessel “OV Bøkfjord”.
The project includes the installation of Kongsberg Maritime‘s electric rim-drive azimuth thrusters and an upgrade of the hybrid capacity.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) is a national authority under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, responsible for coastal management, maritime safety and emergency preparedness in the event of acute pollution. With its presence along the entire Norwegian coast, the NCA also ensures the safety and accessibility of maritime infrastructure and provides services such as pilotage and navigation technology.
“OV Bøkfjord” was the NCA’s first hybrid vessel
The “OV Bøkfjord” was the NCA’s first hybrid ship. It was delivered in 2016 and was one of the first battery hybrid vessels delivered by Kongsberg Maritime. The company will now lead the upgrade of the vessel’s hybrid capacity and propulsion systems, which is in line with the administration’s strong focus on reducing environmental impact, emissions reduction, sustainable supply chain and safer operations.
Kongsberg Maritime conducted operational and predictive analyses comparing current fuel consumption with various decarbonization options. These analyses supported decision making to achieve NCA’s future emission reduction targets.
Battery capacity significantly increased
“This project has shown that hybrid technology has evolved significantly in the last ten years since the ‘OV Bøkfjord’ was launched. Back then it was a pioneer of its time, and today, with this series of upgrades, we are ensuring that it will have an even better environmental footprint for many years to come. Our detailed analysis has enabled us to increase the battery capacity fourfold compared to the original design.
“To maximize emission reduction, we found that switching the propulsion technology to our Rim-Drive azimuth thrusters allows the vessel to run much longer on all-electric, emission-free and clean energy,” says Eivind Midtlid, Sales Manager Offshore Integration & Energy, Kongsberg Maritime.
Propeller has been hydrodynamically optimized
The vessel charges its batteries with clean energy from the Norwegian hydropower-dominated grid and uses it in daily operations to protect the coastal shipping infrastructure. In addition, the new propellers have been hydrodynamically optimized to significantly reduce noise compared to their predecessors, thus improving the environmental conditions for the crew and marine life underwater.
