At almost 130 meters, the “Froan” will be the largest bulk carrier in the world to be completely emission-free.
Construction work has now begun on the ship at the Chinese shipyard Jiangsu Soho Marine Heavy Industry, which will sail for the Norwegian company Berge Rederi. Delivery is scheduled for 2026.
The 129.9 m long and 20.6 m wide ship will be powered by both batteries and rotor sails and is estimated to save 9,000 tons of CO2 and 200 tons of NOx in addition to annual fuel costs of NOK 15 million (approx. €1.3 million).
“Froan” runs on batteries and wind power
With its 23.5 MWh battery packs and two 24 m x 4 m rotor sails from Finnish manufacturer Norsepower, the “Froan” will travel a distance of 230 nautical miles (around 425 km) between Brønnøysund and Elnesvågen near Molde completely emission-free – a distance that is around 30 times longer than the longest distance currently traveled by an electric ferry, as the shipping company has now announced. The plan is for the ship to be recharged in both ports. The freighter will also have a shaft generator and a biodiesel-powered emergency engine with 2,800 kW as well as two emergency generators with 400 kW.
“The start of construction is a turning point for maritime transport. We have already shown how we can reduce emissions from ferries and express boats. Now we are looking at the transportation of goods along the coast, where the distances are longer and the volume is greater,” said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norwegian Minister for Climate and Environment. “I am proud that we have such forward-looking players in Norway and that we have framework conditions for the economy that enable us to be at the forefront of technological development.”
As reported by the Norwegian classification and certification company DNV, the bulk carrier, which cost around NOK 500 million (around €43 million), can transport 13,000 tons of freight, primarily limestone marble for the company Omya Hustadmarmor in Elnesvågen near Molde. There, the product is ground and finally processed as an additive for paper and cardboard production as well as for agriculture, construction and water treatment. The construction of the ship is being supported by the Norwegian agency Enova and the NOX Fund with NOK 270 million (€23 million).
Delivery next year
“The public support was a triggering factor for the realization of this project. A shipping company like ours cannot tackle such a challenge alone,” says Magne Berge, co-owner and operator of Berge Rederi.
The “Froan” is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026, and the battery pack will then be equipped by the system integrator SEAM from Karmøy in Norway. Even though the ship is being built in China, 57% of the ship’s value is attributable to Norway, such as the equipment, technology, Norwegian equipment and design, according to the shipping company. Including deliveries from Sweden and Finland, the value added from Scandinavia therefore amounts to almost two thirds of the ship.
Berge Rederi was founded in 1997, is based in Hitra, Trøndelag, and has a fleet of ten self-unloading bulk carriers sailing from Spitsbergen in the north to the Mediterranean in the south. (CE)
