The Norwegian cruise shipping company Havila Voyages plans to refuel a ship on the coastline with pure liquefied biogas (LBG) for the first time at the end of November.
The “Havila Polaris” is intended to demonstrate that completely climate-neutral operation on the Norwegian mail ship route is technically possible.
On November 26, the ship will bunker 200 m³ of biogas at the Polarbase terminal in Hammerfest, followed by a further 150 m³ on arrival in Bergen on November 30. Together with the large battery packs on board, this is enough for a complete round trip. “We want to prove that the entire coastal route can be operated in a climate-neutral way – and that this should be a minimum requirement in the next tender in future,” explains Havila CEO Bent Martini.
According to the company, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by more than 90% during the voyage. Technical adjustments are not necessary, as biogas has the same properties as natural gas, but with a significantly lower carbon footprint.
Competitor Hurtigruten is also planning an emissions-reduced voyage with the “Richard With” at the end of October, using biodiesel. Martini welcomed the move, but emphasized that biogas also completely avoids local emissions such as nitrogen and sulphur oxides and thus improves the air quality in the 34 ports of call.
LBG is produced from residual materials such as food waste, liquid manure or fish sludge. The by-product is a nutrient-rich biofertilizer that can replace artificial fertilizers. Havila plans to run exclusively on biogas produced along the Norwegian coast by the end of 2028. The aim is to create new jobs and strengthen local value chains.
Havila ‘s four ships are currently powered by LNG and batteries and already reduce CO₂ emissions by around 35% compared to diesel-powered ships. Martini also announced efficiency measures that could reduce energy consumption by a further 20-30%.
