Equinor has signed a contract with Eidesvik Offshore for the conversion of the Viking Energy supply vessel to ammonia operation. The vessel will be fully converted and put into operation with low emissions in 2026.
The vessel supplies Equinor's installations on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Viking Energy will be the world's first supply vessel fuelled by ammonia. Wärtsilä will build the engine on behalf of Eidesvik Offshore.
"We have an ambition to halve the maritime emissions associated with our Norwegian operations by 2030. With this contract, we will, in collaboration with Eidesvik Offshore, employ a new low-emission technology. We strongly believe in the use of ammonia as a fuel on our supply vessels," says Ørjan Kvelvane, Equinor's senior vice president for joint operations support.
Converting the vessel to ammonia operation Eidesvik Offshore and Wärtsilä will cut emissions from Viking Energy by at least 70 percent. Equinor and Eidesvik Offshore have a 21-year history of collaboration on environmental technology on Viking Energy.
At the time of delivery in 2003, the vessel was the world's first LNG-fuelled supply vessel. The vessel was also the first in the world to receive DNVs «Battery Power» notation.
In addition to using the vessel in operations, Equinor will contribute significantly to funding the conversion to ammonia operation. The project receives five million euros in support through the EU Horizon Europe programme. The necessary conversion and installation of the new engine together with the complete fuel gas supply system and exhaust after-treatment from Wärtsilä will take place in 2026.
"The offshore fleet on the NCS is ageing and needs renewal. Investing in new technology is expensive, and there are many uncertainties. At the same time, scaling up the use of operational technology to enable the necessary transformation is urgent. Cooperation with the authorities and competent suppliers on phasing in recent technology is essential to achieving the emission targets we have set," says Kvelvane.
The government has announced that it will establish requirements for low-emission solutions from 2025, and zero emissions from new supply vessels from 2029. The orientation of these requirements has not yet been decided. In addition to this contract, Equinor has also made an inquiry in the market for supply vessels capable of running on ammonia.
